Harry Potter and the Phoenix Flame
by Sir Lizzy-poo
Summary: Chapter 13 and epilogue. Who wins? Who dies? Is there a happily ever after?
1. Prologue

Harry Potter and the Phoenix Flame

A/N: Ok, I'm a hardcore H/G shipper, but I've read somewhere around 300,000 printed pages of H/G fics in the past three weeks, so for a change of pace I've decided to write a H/OC fic that popped into my head. The only way I could even think to start one without some H/G was… well… don't kill me, I'm told that I'd be missed.

Disclaimer: If you recognize it, it's not mine. This will be the only disclaimer for this fic cause I'm too lazy to do this every time... plus, if you read this, you'll have to start here, right?

Prologue

Harry Potter sat on his bed at number four Privet Drive with his head in his hands. His eyes were red from the painful stinging of tears that had finally fallen, tears that had been accumulating for over a year.

He was no stranger to pain. He had had his bones re-grown in his arm, and not long after that, he had been bitten by a Basilisk, the fang breaking off in the aforementioned arm. Not long after that he had fallen from his broomstick when Dementors had gotten too close to him during a Quidditch match. He had been subjected to the _Cruciatus Curse…_ Physical pain was nothing for him. It was the pain he was feeling now, the pain that was making him cry into the palms of his hands that threatened to tear him apart. Physical pain was nothing; emotional pain was horrible, torturous, and unbearable.

Hogsmeade weekends were always fun, a great way for the students to relax and for some of the students to share a day with a special someone. Harry had asked one of his best friends, Ginny Weasley, to accompany him to the village, if only so both of them could escape from Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. In the weeks preceding the Valentines Hogsmeade trip, Hermione and Ron had become permanently attached at the lip.

Harry, as always, had guards from the Order of the Phoenix protecting him. He wasn't fond of the protective detail, but he mentioned nothing.

Ginny had met Harry in the common room in Gryffindor Tower and the two had walked off to Hogsmeade, quite possibly as the only people **not** on a date. Harry had once thought of dating Ginny, but the thought of kissing her was almost like the thought of kissing Hermione. They were too close as friends, and he was an honorary Weasley anyway. The idea of kissing someone who he saw as a sister was a bit too creepy for him.

They had been shopping around when an ear-splitting shriek had pierced the air. An explosion soon followed, and the front wall to the shop they were in had tumbled to the ground. Harry and Ginny had been knocked into the back wall from the shockwaves and the flying debris.

Harry had been knocked unconscious, awoken a long while later by Nymphadora Tonks; he helped her move the large pieces of stone that were lying around as they looked for other students. Harry had found the bag Ginny had been carrying. It was trapped beneath an extremely large pile of rubble, and he set to work at once, removing everything.

Nothing was there. Ginny was nowhere to be found.

Harry shook his head, trying to force the tears back inside. He had tried not to think of it, but it couldn't be helped. Guilt wrenched his insides. She shouldn't have been taken; it was only because she was with me! Harry knew nothing anyone could say would change how he felt. The only person who could ever get through his thick head at times like this was…

Most of the school had recovered from the attack. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, and other students related to someone hurt or killed in the attack were still grieving. Ginny had not yet been found, though there was little hope for her. Three months had passed and absolutely nothing had been heard about the youngest Weasley. In fact, in those three months, nothing had been heard from Voldemort or his supporters either. It was obvious that Ginny was being used for something and that the Dark Lord had targeted her, though Harry was absolutely certain that it was only because she was with him.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione had been sitting in Charms when a burst of flame erupted in front of Ron. A letter fell to the table before them. Ron reached out a shaking hand and opened it.

Mr. Weasley, please bring yourself, Mr. Potter, and Ms. Granger to my office. The password is Canary Cream.

Albus Dumbledore

The trio left, explaining to professor Flitwick where they were going. Ron's parents were waiting for them in the office. Mrs. Weasley wrapped Ron in a bone-crushing hug, sobbing silently. Harry knew what had happened and bowed his head, grabbing onto the wall for support to prevent himself from falling. Hermione broke down in tears, and Ron merely collapsed to the floor with a look of horror, confusion, and hopelessness on his face.

"It is, sadly, as you assume." Dumbledore told the three friends. "Arthur, the floor is yours."

Mr. Weasley, his face puffy and red, stepped forward away from his wife. "This morning we found Ginny." His voice broke. "Sh-she was lying on the ground in the garden of the Burrow." He continued, wiping tears from his eyes and cheeks. "She… she's dead."

Harry had stepped forward, barely trusting his legs, and walked to Mrs. Weasley. He attempted to speak but his mouth wouldn't work. Mrs. Weasley reached for him and pulled him into a tight hug. "I know, Harry… I know."

Harry was glad his "family" was gone, because the noise he was making as his fist collided with the walls of his room would have earned him a month without supper… not that it would matter, he was to be removed from Privet Drive and relocated in a matter of hours. Harry seriously hoped he wouldn't be going to the Burrow. None of the Weasleys blamed him for what had happened. There was no way he could have prevented anything. The reason he couldn't go to the Burrow was simple: He was afraid. He had controlled his emotions so well, and seeing the spot where Ginny was found would probably force him to break down. He wasn't only holding in the pain from Ginny's death, but from Sirius's death as well, and it was all getting to be too much. Only one thought remained on Harry's mind constantly: Why do the people I love have to die?

That evening, Nymphadora Tonks had Apparated into Harry's bedroom to find him lying on his bed staring at the ceiling. "Hi Harry." She said, sitting at the foot of his bed. "You ready to go, mate?"

Harry sat up and scratched his head. "I'm ready to get away from this place… but not to go to the Burrow or Headquarters." His voice had a hollow, tired… dead… tone about it.

"Understandable, though the Weasleys will be sad not to see you. No worries, you're coming home with me." Tonks said as she waggled her eyebrows.

"Fine by me, but won't Remus get jealous if you have teenage boys over? You're only a few years older than me…" Harry attempted to sound cheery, but failed.

"Maybe, but I'm sure he'll make an exception for the famous Harry Potter." She said, pulling him into a hug. "After all, what could the most famous seventeen-year-old in the wizarding world want with little old me?" Tonks batted her eyelashes at him and laughed lightly.

"Well, you do have the ability to change your appearance at will… I mean, you could become ANY girl…" Harry replied. Tonks could see she was finally bringing him out of his depressed stupor.

"Right… you have no idea…" She said, turning back to him, staring at him with his mother's face. Laughing at the shocked expression he replied with, she patted his knees. "Get your things, Potter, we're going home."


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Embarrassing Discussions

The small, four-bedroom cottage that Tonks had received from her father, who had inherited it from his muggle parents, was quite cozy. Dumbledore had ensured them that it was quite safe: Unplottable, out of the way, and some of the strongest wards ever erected. It was a white, two-story home with a dark blue roof, shutters, and trim. The wards stretched two hundred yards in each direction, allowing room to practice Quidditch or just fly around. The North Sea was accessible by a stone path leading down from the house.

Harry spent most of his time lying on the beach, and it showed on his skin, which was turning a light bronze. Tonks wasn't the only female to notice this either. Remus's cousin and his family had been attacked, leaving his cousin's daughter without parents. It wasn't related to Voldemort in any way, as far as anyone could tell, since the girl and her family lived in America. Remus was named godfather at her birth and was her closest living relative, so he had gladly taken her in.

Amanda White was a beautiful girl only four months younger than Harry. She had shoulder length blonde hair that she wore in ringlets, and dark blue eyes that looked like the midnight sky. She was average height, slim, and moderately busty. Harry tried not to check her out, though he often couldn't help himself. Both of them were in mourning, and it wasn't exactly appropriate for him to entertain the thoughts he found floating through his mind.

The pair of teenagers had become close over the week that Harry had been there, and were often seen in each other's company. Perhaps it was from suffering similar losses and having no one else their own age around, but the two of them seemed to be a bit more than friends from the second day they had spent together.

Before, Harry had reservations about the people he would open up around. With Amanda he had no such problems. And before moving to England, Amanda told Tonks, she rarely allowed anyone to see her in the bikini that Harry had often been seen admiring from the blanket that always lay next to hers.

Nearly two weeks into his stay at Tonks's home, Remus woke Harry near noon. "Wake up, sleeping beauty, we have things to do." The werewolf laughed as Harry grumbled and sat up in bed.

"What's up, Moony?" he asked, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

"Busy night? Dora had trouble waking Amanda too…" the elder man said with a wink. "Seriously, we need to take care of some business in Diagon Alley, meet me downstairs in a few minutes."

Harry threw his clothes on and trotted downstairs. "Where're Tonks and Amanda?" he asked, yawning again.

"Hogwarts," Remus replied, "Minerva wanted to speak to her before term began. She'll be in Gryffindor, you know. Her school was nearly identical to Hogwarts, same houses and all."

"Yeah, she told me. The Salem Institute of Sorcery, right?" Harry asked, Remus nodded. "So what's on the agenda for today?"

"Gringotts, then the Ministry. We're almost out of time for you to claim your family's vault. The vault you've been using is only your school vault. The money in it will be transferred to your family vault as soon as we sign the papers." Remus told him. Harry looked shocked. "I know, I know, you're happy with what you have. Still, it goes back to Gringotts if you don't sign the papers by the end of the week. You only have two weeks after you come of age to do it, unless Healers at St. Mungo's or Professor Dumbledore sends notice that you can't make it until you are out of school on holiday or out of the hospital."

Harry merely nodded, looking like a small child with the spoon of porridge in his mouth as he did so.

An hour later, Remus and Harry walked out of Gringotts, Harry's moneybag filled for his school purchases and the school year. They stopped at Quality Quidditch Supplies to examine the new _Firebolt XS_, a new model of the fastest racing broom in the world. The price tag on it, however, was enough to make Harry decide his Firebolt was quite good enough. Harry purchased new Quidditch pads and a new broomstick polishing kit before he and Remus walked back to the Leaky Cauldron for lunch.

The pair of wizards sat down to eat after Tom, the barkeeper, gave them their food. Halfway through the meal, Remus looked at Harry with a mischievous grin that convinced Harry that Lupin wasn't always the good boy that kept his father and godfather in line. "So, Harry, what is there between you and Amanda? I must keep an eye on my dear goddaughter, after all. For a few more months, at least."

Harry choked on his butterbeer. "Moony!" he half shouted, blushing darkly. After a moment of stuttering and babbling he regained his composure. "We're friends, close friends. I wouldn't mind being more, but I don't think either of us are ready for anything like that right now." He looked down into his plate, blushing darker than before.

Remus laughed heartily. "I was hoping you'd say that. Harry, Amanda is all the family I have left, and as such is the last person with Lupin blood in her veins. I would love a child of my own, but I would never willingly pass this curse onto anyone, so that is out of the question. You are the last of the Potters, well, kind of. You do have a cousin, Susan Bones, though that goes back four or five generations."

"Moony, what… what are you saying? You want me to… and Amanda… you want us to have a baby?" Harry looked torn between shock and horror. "We… we're not even dating and you want us to have a kid?"

"No, no! Harry, you misunderstand! I'm just saying that should you become closer, and I do hope you will, that sometime in the future the Potter and Lupin families can become one. Your father was like a brother to me, and I had always hoped that a cure would be found and that I would have a child and that child could become involved with one of Lily and James's children." He sighed and took a deep breath.

"Sirius wanted the same thing. Peter too, probably. Then Peter betrayed your family, Sirius was blamed for Peter's crimes, and I… well, there is still no cure in sight. Probably never will be…" Remus sat back in his chair. "I know how embarrassing this must be."

Harry wholeheartedly agreed. His face was still the color of a beet. "Can you imagine what a grandchild of two marauders would be like?" Remus laughed. Harry had no choice but to join in.

"Do the words 'Extremely Dangerous' mean anything to you?" Harry shot back. Their laughter doubled, generating some confused stares from the other patrons.

"Seriously, Harry, promise me that if anything begins between you that you'll treat her like James treated Lily. She's all I have left." Remus looked solemn.

"Of course, Remus." Harry replied, reaching across the table and putting his hand on his friend's shoulder. "Now! Shall we go? I need to be licensed to Apparate!"

Tonks, Amanda, and Professor McGonagall sat in the Gryffindor Head's office. "Miss White, you were sorted into the Salem Institute's Gryffindor house, correct?" Amanda agreed, "Right, we could skip the sorting, considering the witches that founded the school were Hogwarts trained and there was one from each house. I have been told that they have a sorting hat of their own, am I right?" Amanda nodded again. McGonagall stood and walked to the shelf opposite her desk.

"Miss White, while we would normally assimilate you into the rest of the Gryffindor seventh years, I'm afraid I must ask you to be sorted again." Amanda nodded and placed the offered hat on her head.

Hmmm, difficult… Not as difficult as some I've sorted, but still difficult. My American counterpart had the sense to place you in Gryffindor, though you'd do well in any house.

_**That's what I was told at my last sorting.**_

Hmmm, I think we will keep you in Gryffindor. You've got courage to spare and I can see you've already got a friend there. How is Mr. Potter these days?

**He's upset over his friend's death, but I think he's beginning to feel better. He's certainly bringing me out of the funk I was in.**

_Ah, yes, he has that effect, I'm told. Give him my regards, please?_

**Certainly.**

"Gryffindor, Minerva." The hat said before Amanda whipped it off her head and presented it to her head of house.

"Right, you've been sorted, you've got yours and Harry's booklists and school letters, now what shall we do?" Tonks asked the younger girl. "We've got a whole day ahead of us, anything special in mind?"

"Not really, I am a bit hungry if you want to grab a bite to eat." Amanda's stomach growled, confirming her statement.

"Right, to the Three Broomsticks! We've got a starving lady to attend to!" Tonks made her hair alternate between dark red and bright red, looking like a siren flashing.

The Three Broomsticks was bustling with the residents of Hogsmeade. For a Wednesday afternoon, it was rather crowded. A few people waved at Tonks, who still had flashing hair, as the Metamorphmagus steered Amanda to a table in the back.

Rosmerta waltzed back to their table, handing out drinks on the way. "Hello Tonks, what can I get you ladies?" They ordered their food and drinks and watched Rosmerta receive lecherous stares from numerous men.

"I hope I look that good at her age…" Tonks said in a whisper to her companion. Amanda laughed lightly and jabbed Tonks in the ribs.

"You can change your appearance at will! You could look like an old lady or a toddler, why are you complaining." Tonks laughed, agreeing with her.

"I don't suppose you'll have any trouble with things like that, you've got it all." Tonks grinned evilly.

"Huh? I've got what? Remus is my only family. He's great, but still… I miss my parents." Amanda lowered her gaze as the food arrived at the table.

"Now, now, none of that. I know how it is to lose family. Harry told you about Sirius, right?" Amanda nodded. "My mum's favorite cousin. No one was as devastated as Remus or Harry, but mum and I came close." Tonks put her arm around the younger woman's shoulders. "That, however, is not what I mean."

"Eh? What are you talking about then?" Amanda demanded, curiosity taking over. "Spill it lady!"

"Remus is going to kill me…" Tonks began as she took a bite of her sandwich. "It seems that you have attracted the attentions of a certain person. He's a nice catch, you know. Good looking, sweet, caring… fabulously wealthy…"

"What _are_ you talking about, woman?" Amanda asked, blushing. "Who?"

"Honestly, how many men have you been around since you arrived in England? It certainly isn't my boyfriend! I doubt that Remus would be attracted to a sixteen year old that he's related to!" Tonks chuckled as Amanda's eyes bulged and threatened to erupt from her head.

"H-Harry? But… why would he be interested in me? I'm sure there are prettier girls in Hogwarts he's attracted to! He's like the most famous person in our world! Surely someone else has a better chance." Amanda couldn't believe her ears. Tonks told her that Harry liked her and she was complaining!

"Why in Merlin's name are you arguing about it? And what would make you think there are prettier girls? You look great, and our little Harry has noticed that." Tonks asked rhetorically. "Would you like to know a little about Harry's history with women? You might be a little surprised." Amanda nodded, blushing.

"Ok, a couple of years ago Harry had his first… I don't know if you could call her his girlfriend. Her name was Cho Chang." At this, a dark-haired woman at a nearby table stirred.

"Excuse me, did you just say 'Cho Chang?'" she asked, turning to Tonks. Tonks nodded and the girl turned her chair to their table. "That's me, what are you talking about?"

Tonks smiled. "An old friend of yours, Harry Potter." Cho smiled.

"I let that one slip through my fingers… that was a mistake if I ever made one," Cho laughed, "but I'm happy. I have a wonderful boyfriend now."

"What happened between you and Harry?" Amanda asked rather tactlessly.

"Well, I was mourning the death of my previous boyfriend, Cedric Diggory. I was rather confused about it all. You heard about Triwizard Tournament?" Amanda nodded. "Harry and Cedric were the Hogwarts Champions, even though there is only supposed to be one champion from each school. Well, at the end, Harry and Cedric took the cup together for a Hogwarts victory. They were portkeyed to a graveyard Cedric was killed before they could do anything, and Harry was used in a ritual to resurrect You-Know-Who." Cho paused, looking like her heart was about to be ripped to shreds.

"Anyway, I felt like I was betraying Cedric's memory when I started dating Harry, but that's not why we broke up. Harry formed an illegal Defense Against the Dark Arts group that year because our teacher refused to let us perform the spells. There were about two dozen of us in the club. My friend Marietta told on us one night, not knowing that Harry's friend Hermione had jinxed the member roster. The result was the word 'Sneak' across her face in horrible pimples."

"Harry stood up for his friend, and we had a flaming row about it." Cho glanced at the ceiling. "Looking back on it, I suppose Marietta shouldn't have told. It forced the Ministry to evict Dumbledore and our Defense teacher became Headmistress. That was the end of us. I tried to get him back last year, but he only wanted to be friends. He was dating Lisa Turpin at the time."

Amanda looked from Cho to Tonks. "Know anything about that one, Tonks?" Tonks nodded. "And?" demanded Amanda.

"They had a few dates, but it was going nowhere." Tonks said, Cho agreed. "The only other person I've seen Harry do anything remotely romantic with is the few times he's flirted with me. I usually start it, and he knows I'm just playing so he plays back, but that's it. Trust me, Mandy, he's falling for you. He may not even realize it, but he is."

"He _is_ a bit thick when it comes to women." Cho agreed. "Sorry to chat and run, ladies, but I have to get back to work. Good luck, Amanda. Oh, and don't take him to Madam Puddifoot's on a date… I traumatized him with that place." Amanda blushed again and finished her sandwich.

Harry zoomed above the waves on his Firebolt, thinking over what he and Remus had talked about. He had been chasing a walnut that he had charmed to fly around for nearly forty-five minutes when he heard a voice from below.

"Hey, Harry! Come down here! I have a job for you!" Amanda shouted at the blur on the broom.

"Hi Mandy, what's up?" he asked, landing beside her on the sand. She tossed him a bottle of tanning lotion.

"Get my back for me?" she asked in an innocent voice. Harry had gladly accepted the task each time she had asked. It had taken her three days before she became comfortable enough to ask him to do it, and now she couldn't think of anyone she would rather have. Harry had a way of massaging her when he put it on that drove her crazy.

"Mr. Potter, I do believe that I'm going to have to keep you around if you keep that up." She laughed as Harry finished. Both teenagers laughed and Harry conjured a towel for himself.

The two of them lay there talking until the sun climbed down behind the horizon and they lost their tanning opportunity. Returning to the house they found a note saying that Tonks would be out with Remus until dawn, it being the full moon and all, and that they should be good and not do anything that the adults wouldn't do. Both of them laughed at the instructions and Harry set to cooking.

Tonks and Remus smiled as they arrived at the cottage the next morning. Harry and Amanda had fallen asleep together on the couch. They had been watching Tonks's TV and were now sitting up with their heads together and a blanket over them.

"They look great together." Remus whispered to Tonks as he drank the painkilling potion she gave him.

"Yeah, they do. Lets leave them there. We need to sleep ourselves. To bed, mister!" both laughed as Tonks steered Remus to their bedroom. _Go Amanda! Sweep that boy off his feet!_ She thought as she helped Remus into bed and collapsed beside him.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Diagon Alley

Amanda woke suddenly, feeling a strange sensation of heat coming from the left side of her head. Looking to the source of the heat, she saw Harry with a pained expression on his face. After reaching out to feel the waves of heat radiating off of him, she panicked. _No one should be that hot… he needs help…_

Tonks was sitting at the kitchen table drinking a steaming mug of coffee when Amanda burst in, clad only in the bathing suit she was wearing the day before. Ignoring Tonks's raised eyebrow she pulled the other woman into the room she had slept in, pressing Tonks's hand to Harry's forehead. Tonks cast a cooling charm on him and conjured a bowl of cold water and a cloth. The women set to work to cool Harry's disturbingly high fever.

After a few moments with the wet cloth on his head, Harry's pained expression softened and his eyes flickered open. "Um… hello." He said, sitting upright and observing the worried stares from Amanda and Tonks.

Both women started asking questions at once, trying to determine if he was ok. He started laughing, earning him murderous glares. "Calm down, I'm fine." He said, standing up and letting the blanket fall to the floor, revealing a pair of swimming trunks.

"Fine?" Amanda demanded, "You were burning up! I've never felt a fever that high!" She still looked livid.

"Good morning to you too…" Harry said, stifling a yawn.

"Good morning? I'd still be asleep if your head hadn't decided to turn into the sun!" Amanda turned and her expression softened, Harry and Tonks both knew she wasn't really mad, though she was a very convincing actress. After a moment she turned back and placed the back of her hand on Harry's head. "How… You're not warm at all!"

"Yeah, it's a side effect of a dream I've been having since last Christmas. Nothing serious." Harry glanced at Tonks, "and I don't think it's Voldemort-related, he wouldn't ever be found in that place…" His eyes closed and he smiled. "It's too peaceful and beautiful for him."

Tonks didn't look satisfied but didn't say anything about it. After ushering the teenagers into the kitchen, she tried her hand at cooking and sat down, pouring some tea for them and another cup of coffee for herself.

"So, Harry, how did your test go?" Tonks asked, sipping the dark brown liquid.

"Great! I did well on the short-distance test; I missed the target location by three feet. The long-distance test was better. I didn't understand anything they were saying, but the people at Gringotts of Paris were nice." He smiled as Tonks's eyes bulged.

Amanda smiled into her tea, she heard about his test as they were on the beach. Tonks passed them their Hogwarts letters, raising her eyebrow again at Amanda. Amanda read over the booklist while Harry gaped at the badge that had fallen out. He recognized it at once, having been lectured by the three people that had worn it before him. Tonks and Amanda moved their eyes between the badge and Harry. Harry read the note that came with it.

_Dear Mr. Potter,_

_Due to this being your final year and the fact that you've been on the Gryffindor Quidditch team each year you've been in attendance at Hogwarts, with the exception of most of your fifth year, I have decided to make you Quidditch captain. _

_I am afraid, however, that you will most likely be sharing the captaincy with Mr. Weasley, due to your Occlumency and Legilimency training with Professor Dumbledore. I am sure that as Gryffindor Co-captains, you will win the cup once again. I have become rather attached to seeing it in my office._

_Professor M. McGonagall,_

_Deputy Headmistress,_

_Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry_

Harry picked up the badge and studied it closely. He and Ron were Co-captains? It wasn't so hard to believe, Ron's game had improved vastly, and Harry had been on the Quidditch team longer than most people ever dreamed of without thinking of going pro. Tonks and Amanda both hugged and congratulated him.

"Good, now I _know_ I'll get a spot on the team." Amanda laughed. Harry raised his eyebrow as if to dare her to think that.

"Well," Tonks said, almost bursting with laughter, "You did sleep with one of the captains last night." Both teenagers lost control of their mouths as their bottom jaws nearly hit the floor and they both turned bright red. Both of them began to stutter and protest, but Tonks silenced them with a wave of her wand. "I don't want to know any of the gory details." She said as she stood to check on the food.

The gray skies prevented Harry and Amanda from lying on the beach, but flying was still an option. Amanda wouldn't be getting on the Quidditch team based on her friendship with Harry, after all.

Harry had transfigured a melon into a Quaffle so they could practice. It wasn't the same without anything they could use as goals, or other Chasers for her to practice teamwork with, or even a half-competent Keeper, but Harry could tell that she was good. She had told him that she was a Chaser on her old team for two years, and it wasn't exactly hard to understand why. A little under two hours into the practice they had to go back inside. Normally they would have played through the rain, but it soaked through their skin and chilled them to the bone.

Remus and Tonks were at the table when they returned with their brooms over their shoulders and their clothing sagging from the weight of the water collected on them. "Having fun?" Remus asked as Harry cast drying and warming charms.

"Of course, who doesn't love being frozen in the rain while soaring around at ninety miles per hour?" Amanda asked, now fully dry and moderately warm.

Remus chuckled and Tonks snorted into her tea. "Lets hope you like being frozen in the rain while walking around." Tonks told them. "Remus and I will be busy with work for the Order for the rest of the month so we need to go to get your school things today."

Remus nodded and reached into his robes, pulling out two keys. "Your funds have been transferred to a vault in London, Amanda. All of the money your parents had was transferred to me to give to you when you come of age, but I see no harm in doing so now." He gave her one of the keys. "And Harry, your vault key arrived earlier. Your new vault is on the lower levels, in the high security section." He gave Harry the other key.

Harry pocketed his key in the unlikely event that he would need it. Amanda, however, stared at hers with tears welling up in her eyes. Everyone knew she hated to cry in front of them, and that she was trying as hard as possible to keep her tears in check. Tonks and Remus attempted to comfort and console her, but Harry silently asked them to leave and they obeyed.

"Amanda?" he asked tentatively. She looked up to meet his gaze, the tears still prickling behind her eyes. "Are you going to be ok?"

She glanced back down at the table, and after a moment met his emerald stare again. "Yes, I think so." She said, her voice cracking.

"I know what you must be going through." Harry replied, moving a chair beside hers. "Like I told you the other day, the pain never really goes away." He sighed, he was no good at this sort of thing, but he was the only one she would talk to about it. She wasn't as comfortable talking to Remus, even though he was her mother's favorite cousin, and Tonks still had her parents. Harry was always around and had lost more than most people in his seventeen years.

"I never really knew my parents, since I was only a baby when they died. In some ways I envy you. You knew your family, and had a chance to be loved." He paused, trying to find the right words. "It's not right that someone can lose everything like that. I wish you still had your family, I really do. The only advice I can offer is for you to remember the good times you had. Even the bad times can offer some comfort." He sighed again and looked down.

"Have I told you what happens if I get too close to a Dementor?" He asked, looking up at her again. She shook her head, not trusting her voice. "I hear my mum screaming… begging Voldemort not to kill me, to kill her instead. Sometimes I can hear my dad telling my mum to take me and run, that he would try to hold Voldemort off." Tears prickled at Harry's eyes now, and fell freely from Amanda's.

"Oh, Harry… I…" she lost the ability to speak, torn by the grief they had both experienced in their lives. She broke into violent sobs and laid her head on Harry's shoulder, wrapping her arms around his chest. Harry returned the hug and let her cry into his shirt.

Some time later they broke apart, Amanda's tears had finally stopped. "I'm sorry, Harry. Please don't judge me by this." She wiped her cheeks and stared at the wet spot on Harry's shirt.

"Don't apologize, Mandy, it's natural. I'm honored that you would actually cry on my shoulder. I'm afraid that I wouldn't be able to do that if I had to." He said, lightly rubbing her back.

"Thanks." She said, standing. "Lets go see what kind of trouble Remus and Tonks are getting into."

The rain had not reached London by the time everyone made it to Diagon Alley, though the gray clouds were nearly twice as dark. After a stop at Gringotts, Tonks and Remus ushered them into Flourish and Blotts to take care of the majority of their purchases.

As they browsed around in the Defense Against the Dark Arts section, a familiar voice from a neighboring section permeated the ear, soon followed by another familiar voice. Harry stopped suddenly, listening to the conversation playing out.

"…N.E.W.T.s are important! You need to study as much as possible!" An exasperated female said.

"If I can borrow your notes this year, I will. I almost failed my exams last year because of that!" her male companion said.

"If you would learn to take notes of your own you wouldn't have that problem." She retorted.

Harry couldn't take it anymore; he knew that if left alone, they would continue for hours. Poking his head around the corner, he cleared his throat. "Come on, Hermione, you can't expect miracles from that prat." Ron and Hermione jumped, causing Harry to laugh loudly.

Amanda, hearing the laughter, wandered over to Harry. "What could possibly be so funny, Potter?" Harry jumped as well.

"Karma, mate." Ron said, smiling and walking to his best friend and clapping him on the shoulder. "Who's your friend?"

Harry pulled Amanda into Ron and Hermione's view. "This is Amanda, I've mentioned her in my letters, Ron, did you even read them?" He asked, laughing. "Ron, Hermione, this is Amanda White. Amanda, meet Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger."

Ron and Hermione said hello before Ron berated Harry about their Quidditch Co-captaincy, asking about positions they needed to fill and people that needed replacing.

"I think I've found someone to fill Katie's shoes, Ron." Harry said as they gathered the books they would need for their N.E.W.T. classes. Amanda's ears suddenly became extra sensitive. "Amanda's an excellent Chaser. I'm not exactly great as a Keeper, but I'm fairly certain that she could get the Quaffle past you."

Amanda blushed lightly from beside them. "What was that this morning about having to try out like everyone else?" She teased, poking Harry in the ribs.

"What Tonks said this morning made me change my mind…" Amanda's face rivaled Ron's hair. Harry couldn't help himself and exploded with laughter.

"HARRY! How _dare_ you mention that! I can only imagine what Remus and Tonks thought!" she put her face in her hands and shook her head.

"Oh, come on, I was just kidding, but that doesn't change the fact that you're an excellent Chaser. And yes, you still need to try out." Harry ignored the confused looks from Ron and Hermione and tried to get Amanda to stop hiding.

"What are you two on about?" Ron asked in his usual tactless way. Hermione elbowed him.

Tonks, Remus, and Molly had been staying close enough to keep an eye on the group, but far enough away to give them a bit of privacy. Tonks, however, had heard what they were talking about and couldn't resist commenting. Walking closer to them with a wicked grin plastered to her head, Harry knew he was in trouble.

"Amanda, why are you blushing? If I were you, I'd be shouting it from a rooftop." Amanda looked up and glared at the pink haired witch. "I mean, not everyone can sleep with the Boy-who-lived." Tonks's evil grin returned when Ron dropped his books and Hermione glared at Harry. Molly and Remus appeared to have heard Tonks's comment. Mrs. Weasley looked at Harry disapprovingly, but Remus came to the rescue.

"Now, Dora, they just fell asleep on the couch, don't embarrass them." His goddaughter smiled at him and stopped blushing.

"That's right, Tonks. We just fell asleep watching TV." Harry replied, Amanda shot him a grateful look.

"That doesn't change the fact that you were half naked when you woke up." Amanda's blush returned.

"It was hot last night! We came in from the beach and stayed in our bathing suits!" she half shouted.

Tonks silenced her with a wave of her wand again and laughed. "No gory details, we agreed on that this morning." Mrs. Weasley obviously disliked Tonks teasing them, but seeing Harry try not to laugh made it worth it.

Amanda shot a murderous glare at Harry, wordlessly demanding why he wasn't helping her. Ron was close to rolling in the floor from laughter, and Hermione was still glaring at Harry, as if she was demanding to know exactly what happened. Harry was turning red from the war being waged inside of him, and it looked as if laughter would win the battle. Mrs. Weasley was smiling weakly at Harry, hoping that he could finally move on and live, rather than feel needless guilt over Ginny. Remus was chuckling lightly, his arm around Tonks, who was imitating Ron, nearly rolling in the floor.

The whole situation was a breath of fresh air for Harry. Having a bit of fun with his best friends, even if it did mean that he suffered some embarrassment. Amanda, who was shy when she first met someone, was nearly in tears until Harry whispered something in her ear that brought her out of her shell. She started laughing with the others and her blush faded. Almost nothing could ruin the mood.

Almost.

A scoff from behind the group signaled the unwanted presence of Draco Malfoy. The crowd turned to face him. "Well, well, well, Saint Potter has added another member to his fan club. How disgusting." His eyes traveled over Amanda's body from head to toe, lingering in certain places longer than they should. "What would possess someone like _you_ to bed Potter?" he demanded in his drawling voice. "When there are clearly more deserving people."

Amanda felt humiliated by his wandering eyes, crossing her arms over her chest she felt a surge of hatred. "I hope you aren't talking about yourself. I've met hags that wouldn't be that desperate." Hermione snorted, Amanda knew how to hit Draco where it hurt.

Harry and Ron both had their hands over their wands, waiting for Malfoy to try something. Malfoy's hand was reaching for his own wand, but stopped when his mother's hand landed on his shoulder.

"Now, Draco, don't antagonize these people. Honestly, boy, did your father and I teach you nothing?" Narcissa Malfoy pulled her son in front of her. "Their pet wolf over there may bite."

Lupin's face remained expressionless, it was clear that he had heard thing like that before. Tonks, however, flared with anger. "He's not the one you should worry about, Narcissa."

Mrs. Malfoy turned to Tonks. "You're Andromeda's brat, aren't you? Pathetic blood traitor had to go and marry a mudblood. You're not fit to speak my name."

Harry turned to his friends and signaled that they should move on. Everyone else turned as well. "Running away, Potter? Doesn't surprise me, you're good at that. You don't even try to stand up and protect anyone, do you?" Malfoy spat at Harry's retreating back. Harry stopped in his tracks.

"Tell your friend Voldemort that he won't live much longer." Harry said coldly before continuing to walk again.

Remus, Tonks, and Molly, sensing the tension in the air, told the four students to go to Weasleys Wizarding Wheezes while they picked up the rest of the supplies on the booklists. Harry and Amanda handed Remus and Tonks their moneybags, Hermione handed hers to Mrs. Weasley. Ron didn't have one to hand over, as his mum had already liberated it from him. Harry kept a few Galleons in case he wanted to buy some things from Fred and George.

The Weasley twins had done an excellent job in remodeling their store. The entire place was like a practical joke. Trick steps like the staircases at Hogwarts, moving display cases, and (possibly just for Ron) a working model of an Acromantula that dropped from the ceiling in front of the group and walked toward them. Ron squeaked and paled, preparing to take a step backward.

"What's wrong? Is ickle Ronnie scared of a harmless little spider?" Fred called from behind them.

Harry snorted. "Ron, you've faced bigger spiders than this. Remember Aragog?" Ron shuddered. "You can't tell me you didn't have fun running from an army of giant spiders! It was one of the highlights of our second year!"

"Remind me to hex Hagrid for that. _Follow the spiders_… he's mental!"

"Oi, Harry, any suggestions on what we could do to torment you like this?" George asked, coming from the opposite direction of his twin.

"Unless you've got a Dementor nearby, no." George chuckled at this.

Hermione and Amanda each confronted a twin. Angry shouts like "Don't you dare torture Harry with a Dementor!" and "You know what those things do to Harry!" rang through the shop.

"Calm down, ladies." Fred said, backing into a corner under Amanda's glare. "You've got yourself a feisty one, Harry."

"You too, Ron. I never thought Hermy could be so frightening." George agreed.

Harry slapped his forehead while Ron beamed at his girlfriend with pride.

After a few hours of being subjected to the Twins' new products, their guardians returned to look for them. After saying their goodbyes, Harry, Amanda, Remus, and Tonks departed for the seaside cottage.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: On the Hogwarts Express

A/N: Ok, so I got an email asking something that I think I'll explain here. It asked who Mandy was. Mandy is a shortened form of Amanda, according to a friend named Amanda… Also, Dora is short for Nymphadora. Kind of like Ron-Ronald, Ginny-Ginevra, Hermy-Hermione…

A/N 2: Peeves has a song… I didn't want to put it in here, but I was blackmailed. The song isn't mine. My friend sang it one night when we were hanging out. I just changed the tune and added the first 2 lines.

Ron Weasley woke early, an action not common for him, and wandered into the kitchen for breakfast. Normally, Hermione and his mother would be chatting about something or other, occasionally glancing at Ron while doing so. The first day of September, however, was completely different.

Ron heard Hermione mumbling in her sleep on the way down the stairs, so he wouldn't be facing any giggling stares for once. His mother was doing something that made lots of metallic banging noises, most likely cooking like a muggle to take her mind off of everything.

Announcing his presence with a yawn, Ron sat at the table and slumped in his seat. His mother looked at him and offered a weak smile that told him that she had been thinking about Ginny. Attempting to comfort her wouldn't make her feel any better, as he had learned early on in the summer, so he settled for a simple "Mum?" and awaited her reply.

Molly bustled around, knowing she would have to say something sooner or later, even if she didn't want to. "I-I'm fine, dear. Don't worry about me." She replied in a very Harry-like way. Ron noticed this.

"Unless Harry has suddenly become my mother, you're going to have to do better than that. 'I'm Fine' doesn't work for him, and it won't work for you." He said, feeling odd to be talking to his mother like that.

Molly sighed, taking a seat across from her sixth child. From the reduced distance, Ron could see that she had been crying. Voldemort had nearly destroyed the Weasley family when their youngest had been taken so forcibly from them. Ron might not have been the best person to talk to in a situation such as this, but the girl who had been his best friend, his inseparable companion before Hogwarts, his baby sister, had been taken from him too. Molly knew she wasn't the only one in pain, everyone felt the loss. Her "eighth child" couldn't bear to bring himself to the Burrow because he felt guilt for reasons known only to himself.

Sighing again, she placed her hands on the table. "Why do death eaters see the need in taking everything from me?" she asked, thinking aloud.

Ron, startled by the sudden comment attempted to think of an answer, but his mother continued. "I just hope that wherever they are, Gideon and Fabian are watching her."

"Gideon and Fabian?" Ron, unable to help himself, asked.

"Your uncles. They were killed in the last war on a mission from the Order. I don't even remember if you were born. Back then everything ran together. Arthur had to charm the house so that I wouldn't leave to find their murderers." Molly's voice became hollow. "Never anger a pregnant witch, Ron. Your father learned that on the day I found out what happened."

Ron snorted, he knew just how insane a woman could be, pregnant or not. "Ron? Why does Harry blame himself?"

It was Ron's turn to sigh. He had tried to figure this one out on numerous occasions that summer when his best friend had been off with Amanda White instead of at the Burrow. Ron was grateful for the opportunity to be alone with his girlfriend, but he hadn't gone two months without seeing his best friend since they were eleven years old and it felt strange.

"I don't know, mum. That's just Harry. You know he and Ginny were out together in Hogsmeade when…" his mother nodded. "Maybe that's it."

"But Tonks told us he was knocked out from something hitting him, or when he hit the wall. He couldn't have prevented anything." Molly protested.

"I know, but you know Harry. He doesn't take credit for anything and feels guilty for everything." Ron replied, "Maybe he thinks Ginny was taken because she was with him. It was Valentine's Day, after all. Maybe he thinks the Death Eaters thought they were together."

"Oh, how I only wished that they would end up together. I honestly thought of them as a younger version of James and Lily. But now…" Fresh tears leaked from Molly's eyes.

Ron almost said something he had started to suspect from reading the letters Harry had sent, but thought better of it.

"Ron, ask him. Ask him why he does this to himself. Ask him why, when he has lost so much, he has to blame himself for everything." Molly said, rising and moving back to check on the cooking food. Ron said nothing, but nodded, suddenly realizing why his mother was so protective over her brood. She had lost family once and now it was happening again.

The morning of September first was hectic at Tonks's seaside home. Everyone had woken late, and had only two hours to shower, eat, Floo to the Leaky Cauldron, and make it to King's Cross.

Amanda ran from the kitchen to her bedroom with a piece of toast clamped between her teeth, trying to pull her socks on along the way. She would have broken her neck if Harry hadn't been running behind her, seeking out his own bedroom. Harry had been at the bottom of the stairs when she had fallen due to her sock situation. Harry hadn't meant to catch her, but as she fell he instinctively held out his arms.

"My hero…" she teased, blushing either at the awkward place his hand had landed when he caught her, or by the comment she had made Harry couldn't tell. She freed herself from his arms and resumed her quest to ready herself for her new school.

Somehow, Harry had lost three pairs of pants, six pairs of socks, two pairs of boxers, two shirts, and his new set of dress robes, which would be needed for some reason during the school year. After spending way too much time searching, he finally found everything with the exception of one of his shirts.

Amanda had been scrambling about looking for parchment, quills, ink, books and the like. She could hear Harry grumbling from across the hall, searching for clothing. Her room was shockingly clean compared to Harry's, so it wasn't as difficult to locate her things.

Reaching under her bed, she pulled something out that confused her. Sticking her head out the door, she shouted at Harry, tossed his shirt to him, and asked why his clothing was in her room. She immediately regretted it, however, for if Tonks had heard her, she would never be able to live it down. As luck would have it, no teasing comments came from the floor below.

To say that King's Cross was overcrowded was an understatement. Students and parents were joined by Aurors, the MLES, and even a few people from the Department of Magical Transportation filled platform nine and three-quarters. Apparently something was expected to happen.

Remus, Tonks, and the guards that came with them, and who had been stationed at Tonks's home all summer, ushered their charges onto the train. Harry led the way to a compartment with no one inside. Ron and Hermione would be in the Prefect's carriage, as Hermione and whoever the Head Boy was would be giving out assignments to the Prefects. Harry actually hoped that his friends would take a while to find him, though he couldn't explain why. He had certainly grown close to Amanda during their month together, and even more so in the last half of that month when they were, for the most part, alone. Perhaps he had grown accustomed to being alone with her and wasn't keen on changing it. He knew that once they arrived at Hogwarts they wouldn't get a moment's peace, especially in N.E.W.T. year. He had passed Neville and Luna, who were sharing a compartment with Harry's dorm mate Dean Thomas and his girlfriend Parvati Patil, so he knew it would be a while before they sought him out. The prospect for a solitary train ride for them looked bright.

They had been talking about Quidditch, Hogwarts, and everything else that came to mind for nearly two hours when the compartment door opened, signaling the unwanted arrival of Draco Malfoy and his troll-like cronies, Crabbe and Goyle. The arrogant Death Eater in training stepped in, seeming not to realize that he wasn't wanted.

"My, aren't we cozy? And I half expected to find the mudblood and the weasel shagging." The Slytherin said, taking a seat. "Still hanging around with Potter?" he asked, facing Amanda. "Why not come with me, I can show you a much better time than scarhead can."

Amanda looked as if he had just asked her to lie on the ground while dozens of Blast-Ended Skrewts swarmed over her. "I'm quite comfortable where I am." She replied with a disgusted tone, sliding closer to Harry and pulling his arm around her shoulders. "Now get lost."

"And if I don't? What would you do? What _could_ you do?" Malfoy challenged, his bodyguards laughing stupidly.

"You'll find your friends and yourself searching the countryside looking for parts of your body so you can try to reproduce." Her icy tone and murderous glare had taken its toll on the three Slytherins. Harry couldn't help laughing.

"Laugh while you can, Potter. Your little girlfriend will regret her words." Malfoy stood to leave, finding Harry's hand on his shoulder. "Unhand me you filthy half-blood!" Malfoy spat. Harry paid no attention.

"Come near my friends and you'll regret staying at Hogwarts." Harry said icily. Malfoy shook himself away from Harry and stalked away.

"Thanks Harry." Amanda said from beside him when he returned to his seat.

"Uh… for what?"

"For not pulling away when that creep was in here and I snuggled up to you." She blushed. Harry smiled, making her blush deepen.

"Honestly, I didn't mind. I kind of liked it, actually. It gave me something besides Malfoy to focus on." Harry paled at the words. _Where did THAT come from?_ Amanda stared, not sure of what to say. They were spared further awkwardness when Ron entered the compartment alone.

"No Hermione?" Amanda asked, her voice sounded somewhat different.

"She's supposed to patrol the whole time, in case a prefect needs her or something. Terry Boot too. You know, I would have thought you would be Head Boy, Harry." Harry shrugged.

"I'm a troublemaker." He said, then contorted his face, "Potter has been crossing lines since he arrived here." He imitated Snape almost perfectly. Ron collapsed in a fit of laughter. Amanda looked at them with a raised eyebrow.

"I saw that you had our usual visit from Malfoy already. Did… did he say anything about…" Ron's voice caught in his throat. Harry knew exactly what he meant.

"No, just the usual taunts and insults." He said, looking down. "He knows better. I may not share the Weasley blood, but I do consider you guys my brothers, and Ginny was my sister. Malfoy was lucky he didn't find himself cursed before he left. If he had mentioned Ginny, he would have been, and I would have left him for you to find."

Ron was struck speechless, gaping at Harry. Amanda looked her raven-haired companion over appraisingly and smiled. _The boy is driving me mad! He doesn't care about himself, but he would go to the ends of the earth for strangers, and beyond for his friends._ Ron finally gained control of his emotions and embraced Harry in a brotherly hug. The only other time they had done this was at Ginny's funeral.

Night fell as Hogwarts Castle appeared in the distance. Harry longed to be back in Gryffindor tower, sitting in his favorite chair in front of the fireplace with his friends. Ron would be off doing his prefect duties, and Hermione would be doing Head Girl things, so it would just be Harry and Amanda tonight. _Why do I keep finding myself thinking about Amanda? She's certainly beautiful… charming… and her shyness is cute…_

Harry looked down; Amanda had fallen asleep beside him, her head drooping onto his shoulder shortly after sleep claimed her. She looked so peaceful when she was sleeping, and Harry regretted having to wake her as they pulled into Hogsmeade station. Ron noticed Harry staring at the blonde as she used him for a pillow and smirked, daring Harry to deny something was going on between them. Harry shook his head and rolled his eyes as Ron left to help the other prefects.

Harry gently shook Amanda, causing her to burrow her head deeper into him. Harry laughed and shook her again.

"Not now Tonks…" she mumbled, turning slightly so that her head slid down Harry's arm and chest and into his lap. Harry shook her again. "Toooooonks… don't come in here yet." Harry raised his eyebrow and poked her in the ribs. "Tonks… we didn't do anything…" Harry was really getting curious, he poked her again, slightly harder than the last time. Her eyes snapped open to stare at Harry's knees.

"Harry! What's going on?" She asked, bolting upright and blushing furiously.

"We're almost there. Have a nice nap?" She nodded. "Any interesting dreams?" he continued.

_Oh God… what did I say?_ Amanda's face turned bright red. "Yes, actually, but don't expect to hear about it, Mr. Potter."

"Oh? And exactly who were you not doing anything with? You seemed to be trying to convince Tonks you were innocent about something." Amanda blushed more deeply, burying her face in her hands.

The two of them left the compartment and made their way to the carriages that would carry them to the school. Harry shuddered at seeing the Thestrals and what they represent as he climbed into a carriage with Neville and Luna.

Harry, Amanda, Neville and Luna entered the entrance hall of the castle only to be pelted by water balloons. Peeves the poltergeist was floating upside down and bouncing another balloon in his hand.

"Oh! Potty wee Potter is back! How fun!" He cackled and threw the balloon at Harry, who put his arms up and ended up accidentally soaking himself and Amanda. "Now he's all wet!" Bobbing up and down in the air, the irksome poltergeist burst into song.

"_Oh Potter, you rotter_

_Look what you've done!_

_Your girl's all wet,_

_And now you can bet_

_You're going to have lots of fun!_"

Harry and Amanda blushed furiously as the older students laughed at the song. Peeves zoomed off, blowing raspberries at some second years he encountered on the way. Harry and Amanda quickened their pace and trying not to be seen.

"Great way to start the year." Harry mumbled as they sat at the Gryffindor table. Ron had placed himself across from them and snorted at the comment, earning himself a glare from Amanda and a slap on the back of the head from Hermione.

The Gryffindor common room emptied rather quickly after the students returned. The feast had made many of them sleepy and others simply missed their beds. A select few, mostly fifth years, were still bustling about. The fifth years were trying to find any of the items at Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes that weren't on the banned items list. A few third years were busy looking at a map of Hogsmeade, deciding where to go first on their first visit. Harry, Ron, Amanda, and Hermione were sitting by the fire reminiscing. Amanda told stories from her old school while the other three told her of their adventures. All four discussed Dumbledore's announcement that their new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher hadn't arrived yet.

It was after two in the morning when Hermione shrieked, sent the younger students off to bed, and told her three friends that they should get in bed. Ron chased after her, running up the stairs to the girls' dorms, triggering the trap that turned them into a slide. Hermione glared at him before he planted a kiss on her lips.

Harry and Amanda stared with amused expressions. "Get a room!" Harry shouted at his best friends, laughing.

Ron broke from his girlfriend for a moment. "Don't watch. There are four people in here, look beside you, Potter…" Harry turned to see Amanda's mouth drop. She wasn't used to that sort of comment and blushed.

"You know you blush a lot, right?" Harry laughed as she playfully punched him in the shoulder. "Kind of cute, honestly." He added, mentally slapping himself afterward. Amanda cocked her head to the side and stared as if she were trying to read his mind.

"Come on, Amanda, I'll show you the dorm." Hermione said, breaking the awkward silence. The two girls made their way to their room, leaving the boys alone.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Classes, Quarrels, Quidditch, and Close Calls

The next morning Harry, Ron, Amanda, and Hermione entered the Great Hall looking around for a sign of their new Defense teacher, but found nothing. They shrugged, settling themselves in for breakfast.

Midway through their meal, a burst of flame appeared over Harry and a note fell into his lap. Curious glances targeted Harry as he picked it up and read it.

"Whasit Harry?" Ron asked with a mouthful of porridge. Hermione clucked her tongue and rolled her eyes at him.

"A note from Dumbledore. He wants me to come to his office after breakfast." Harry shrugged.

Harry slowed his pace, eating slower than Hermione and Amanda, delaying his meeting with the headmaster. Harry was sure it was about continuing his Occlumency lessons, or perhaps about beginning Legilimency lessons like they had discussed before the last school year ended.

"Come in, Harry." Albus Dumbledore's voice called through his office door. "Welcome back. I trust your first night back was enjoyable?"

"Aside from Peeves, yes." Harry replied, taking a seat across from him. Fawkes the Phoenix trilled loudly and moved from his perch to Harry's shoulder.

"It seems you have acquired a new friend. Fawkes has never shown as much interest in anyone aside from us." The aged headmaster chuckled. "You must be wondering why I asked you to come." Harry nodded. "I am interested in a dream you've been having. I've been told that you've been having it since Christmas and that when you have this dream, you get a very high fever."

Harry sighed, he didn't think the dream was related to Voldemort, but he knew it was important, he also knew he wouldn't be leaving until he told Dumbledore about it. "I don't think I can describe it. Can a Pensieve record dreams?" Dumbledore nodded and moved to get his Pensieve. Harry touched his wand to his temple and pulled the dream out. After depositing it in the basin, he stirred the memories with his wand, locating his dream before touching it with a finger. Dumbledore did the same.

Tall gray mountains surrounded a peaceful valley. A dense forest lay to the north, a lake to the south, great grassy plains to the west, and a soggy marsh to the east.

Beautiful music permeated the air. More than one song mixed together to form a passionate, calming, somewhat depressing melody. All of his courage swelled within him, as well as an intense sensual desire and an insane despair.

Someone was nearby, someone or something. Power radiated off the figure. "Who are you? Why have you come?" a voice called in Harry's mind.

Harry found himself in the forest, a familiar fragment of the beautiful song he heard before came from all around. A voice called out in an unintelligible language, seconds later a fire surrounded Harry, consuming him, though he didn't cry out in pain.

Harry and Dumbledore arrived back in the headmaster's office. Dumbledore offered a hand to help Harry off the floor. "Well, Mr. Potter, I'll think on what this means. You may go on to class. I believe you have Potions now?" He handed Harry his schedule and a note to give Professor Snape. Harry

"How nice, Mr. Potter has finally decided to grace us with his presence." Snape's icy voice dripped with venomous hatred. "Detention, Potter, for disrupting my class."

"Sorry, Professor, but I don't think you can do that." Harry said, brandishing his note from Professor Dumbledore. What now, you greasy git? He thought, dropping his Occlumency shield so that the Potions Master would pick up his thoughts. Snape read the note, glared and sneered at Harry.

"Fine, take your seat." He spat at Harry. Harry took his place between Hermione and Amanda.

"Today we will be starting an extremely complicated potion that few even dare to attempt. It is called the Drought of Death. It will put the drinker into a near death state for twenty-four hours. Improper brewing will kill the drinker. Too much mandrake root will kill, as will too little Bicorn horn, so perfection is required. Most of you are capable of doing this right, others…" His gaze drifted to Harry, "should finish their wills. The instructions are on the board. You have one hour."

Harry glared at his professor and set to work brewing the potion.

The day improved greatly after Potions. Care of Magical Creatures was a great class, Hagrid said they were going to study Veela first, and had asked someone to speak with the class about them. Harry was shocked to see Fleur Delacour exiting Hagrid's hut. Fleur spotted Harry staring at her and walked up to him.

"'Arry! Eet ees good to see you! 'Ow 'ave you been?" she said, kissing his cheek. "Gabrielle asks about you, eet seems you 'ave made a great eempression on 'er." She said in a thick French accent. The men in the class shot him death glares. Amanda did the same.

"Hello Fleur, how have you been? I haven't seen you since…" He trailed off.

"Oui, ze Triwizard Tournament ended razzer… badly, yes?" her eyes darted to the ground as she remembered Cedric Diggory. "I see zat zee leetle boy has grown up!" she winked at him, changing the subject. "Gabrielle will be so disappointed. She wanted you to be ze same boy zat pulled 'er from ze lake."

Harry blushed; the other boys still looked as if they were trying to kill him with their eyes. "Oh, 'ave you spoken wiz Viktor Krum, 'Arry? 'E said 'e was going to be teaching Defense Against ze Dark Arts 'ere." Harry shook his head. "Oh, shall we continue with ze lesson, zen?" Hagrid nodded, smiling at Harry.

Harry, Amanda, Ron, and Hermione sat in the common room doing their homework. Hagrid had asked for eight inches on Veela, telling them that Fleur would be helping him grade the papers. Amanda had just written a line and threw her quill down.

"Harry, how do you know that woman?" She asked, the other three looked up at her.

"Hmm? What woman?" Harry asked, genuinely confused.

"Fleur, mate…" Ron said with a glazed look on his face. "How many women have you been kissed by today?" Hermione stomped on Ron's foot, both for the glazed expression and the comment about the kiss. Amanda shot her a grateful look that only another woman would understand.

"Since fourth year. She was the Triwizard champion from Beauxbatons. I saved her sister from the lake during the second task." Harry replied, "Isn't she dating Bill, Ron?"

"Yeah, I think so. Actually, I think mum was talking about a wedding. Maybe they're engaged?" he thought aloud, scratching his nose with his quill.

"Does she make a habit of kissing you?" Amanda asked, keeping her voice neutral.

"Not really. When Ron and I pulled Gabrielle out of the lake she kissed us both on the cheek, then she did it again today. Why?" Harry asked, growing suspicious at all the questions

"No reason, I was just curious." She said, picking her quill up and writing again. Harry shrugged at Ron and both of them continued writing.

"Hmmm, Viktor Krum is going to be teaching us Defense?" Harry thought aloud. "Coming from Durmstrang, that might be a good thing."

"Yeah, he should be here tomorrow." Hermione said without thinking, immediately regretting it as Ron stiffened.

"So, Vicky is coming tomorrow? I suppose you knew who our teacher was supposed to be all along, didn't you?" Ron demanded, his ears glowing red.

"Yes, I did. Viktor told me he was coming and that he wanted to see me. He even asked if we were still together, Ron. Would you like to know what I told him? I told him that I love you and that if I have my way that we'll always be together!" Hermione slammed her book shut and ran upstairs to her dorm.

"What's wrong with her?" Ron asked, staring at the staircase.

"Well, mate, I think it might have something to do with Fleur and Viktor." Harry laughed. "You've been jealous over Krum since he took Hermione to the Yule Ball, and I seem to remember that you made a complete arse out of yourself by asking Fleur to the very same ball."

"Yeah, well you did the same with Cho…" Ron shot back.

"Yes, but I had to have a date. I was a Champion."

"So was Fleur."

"So was Viktor"

"Krum is famous, he could have had any girl in school!"

"I'm famous too but we had to get desperation dates!"

"Hey, Potter! I'm not a desperation date!" Parvati Patil called from across the common room. Dean Thomas agreed with her, as she was using him as a chair.

"Yeah, Harry, your loss was my gain, though." Dean smiled. Harry shrugged.

Amanda was laughing at the heated exchange. "Aw, poor widdle Hawwy couldn't get a date?" She asked, laughing.

"In case you haven't noticed, Mandy, I'm not exactly great with women." Harry replied, shaking his head.

Amanda mumbled something and turned to go to the girl's dorms to join Hermione.

That weekend was perfect for Quidditch tryouts, and since Ron and Harry had placed a notice in the common room the night they returned, they weren't disappointed by the turnout. Twelve people showed up, and since they only needed two Chasers and a pair of Beaters, they had their pick of the lot.

"Everyone trying out for Chaser follow me!" Ron shouted, tapping their only Chaser, Euan Abercrombie, on the shoulder to get him follow as well. Amanda and four other people followed him.

"Beaters, come with me." Harry said, grabbing the Beater's bats and walking to the opposite end of the pitch. He noticed that a small girl wasn't following. "What are you trying out for?" He asked, walking back to her.

"Seeker." She squeaked, knowing that the Co-captain before her was the team's Seeker.

"Hmmm, come with me. I'll be gone next year, and I don't want you lot to lose because you don't have a decent replacement for me." He smiled as the girl's face lit up.

Two hours later, Ron asked the Chasers to land and flew over to join Harry. "I've picked, have you?" the redhead asked.

"Yeah, I think so." Harry asked the Beaters to join the Chasers on the ground and flew down to join them.

"Right, our new Chasers are Amanda White and Dennis Creevey." Ron announced. "The rest of you can try out next year since Amanda is a seventh year." he added at the disappointed faces.

Harry stepped forward. "Our Beaters are Seamus and Dean. The rest of you can try out again next year, since they'll be gone."

"Right, now that that's over, let's go eat something." Ron said, rubbing his stomach.

"I'll be in later, mate." Harry turned and got back on his broom, signaling for the small girl who wanted to be Seeker to do the same. "We've got one that wants to be Seeker."

Amanda stayed and watched Harry put the girl through the ringer. She was quite good and could possibly rival Harry with time and training. After a while they landed. Harry took the Snitch from her and placed it back in the crate with the other balls. Picking up the team roster Ron had left behind, she watched as Harry wrote "Natalie McDonald" beside his own name.

The seventh year Gryffindors were all in the N.E.W.T. Defense Against the Dark Arts class, so they were the only House that wasn't paired with another for the class. When they entered the classroom on Monday, Viktor Krum smiled and waved at Hermione, infuriating Ron. He and Hermione were still having a huge row over Krum and Ron wasn't in the mood for this.

Leaning over, Harry whispered in Amanda's ear. "This should be interesting." Amanda shivered and giggled as he said it.

"Can any of you conjure a Patronus?" Krum asked in his Bulgarian accent. The class had been members of the DA since their fifth year, with the exception of Amanda and a few others, so most of the class raised their hands. "A corporeal Patronus?" Krum clarified. A few hands went down. "Harry, if you vill?"

"Sure, Expecto Patronum!" Prongs burst forth from Harry's wand. Krum nodded and Harry sat back down. Amanda's eyes were bulging.

"Harry, that's a very advanced spell! How did you learn that?" She asked, not trying to hide her amazement.

"Moony taught me in my third year." He replied, shrugging. "Then I taught everyone else."

Seconds later several corporeal Patronuses were floating lazily around the room. Amanda goggled at Harry again. "Can you teach me?" she asked, hugging Harry when he nodded.

Hermione and Ron could be found snogging in the common room that evening, thereby ending their row. Harry and Amanda had to escape, so Harry took her to the Room of Requirement under the invisibility cloak. As they arrived, Amanda smirked at him.

"An Invisibility cloak, Potter? Am I to believe that you didn't sneak into my room over the summer under this thing?" Her smile belied her tone of voice. "Very useful, I'd say…"

Harry blushed. "You know I haven't been in your room. Besides, if I had fallen asleep on the couch, you would have been there with me. Don't deny it, you know it's true." Harry laughed at her blush. Payback…

Amanda and Harry never got around to practicing the Patronus Charm. They spent their time talking about the summer that they spent together, and each admitted having feelings for the other, though neither had admitted it in words that would have tipped the other off.

They finally made their way back to Gryffindor Tower well past two. Both were sleepy and nearly tripping over themselves as they walked. As they neared the portrait hole, footsteps echoing from ahead of them made them freeze. Harry pulled Amanda to the wall, pulling her into himself face to face, his hand on her lower back to prevent her from falling out into the corridor and exposing them. Both seemed to notice the intimacy of their situation, as they turned crimson.

"I heard footsteps! Show yourself!" Argus Filch said from in front of them. "Accursed kids! If I could still whip you while you hanged from your ankles in the dungeons you wouldn't do this."

Amanda shot Harry a fearful look. He tightened his grip on her, trying to reassure her that they would be fine if they didn't move. Eventually Filch moved on, grumbling about the school going downhill. The two late-night adventurers scrambled for the portrait hole and entered, laughing when they reached the common room.

"That was close, Harry."

"Yeah, next time we should take the map…"

"Next time? What makes you so sure that I'll be wandering about after hours with you again? Wait… What map?"

Harry shrugged, "Just a hunch." He smiled. "I have a map that shows everyone in the school and where they are. Moony, my dad, Sirius, and Wormtail made it when they were here."

Amanda smiled. "And you didn't bring it tonight?"

"Nope, I thought if I didn't that I might end up with you pressed against me. Hey, I could be a Seer." He teased.

"Yeah, yeah. Good night, Harry." She said, kissing his cheek. "Don't let your head get too big, now."


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Halloween Ball

A/N: Wheee! A little dancing, a little snogging, and some teapot groping!

A/N 2: A female friend wrote a lot of the stuff in this chapter. My stuff ends after Transfiguration. Almost everything after is hers.

October brought chiller weather and brighter spirits, well, for the female population of Hogwarts at least. The men had different opinions when their lady friends weren't around… most men, anyway. Those without girlfriends were indifferent around everyone, which gave the other boys the right to glare at them at all times.

On the first of October notices were pinned up in the common rooms announcing a Halloween Ball for everyone in fourth year or above. Younger students would be having parties in their common rooms. Anyone in a relationship was guaranteed a date, as long as their relationship lasted thirty more days. For people like Harry that would be a problem.

Early on the second Wednesday of the month, Harry could be found making his way to the Owlery with a letter in his hand. When he stumbled into the Great Hall for breakfast he wasn't expecting a barrage of questions about his early morning quest. Ron, however, had to poke the demon that was Hermione's inquisitive side with a stick before Harry had walked in. Sitting down, she immediately started in.

"You're awfully late, where've you been?" Hermione's eye kept darting to Harry's right side, though he didn't notice anything.

"Hmm? I went to the Owlery, Hedwig needed a letter to deliver." He said, returning to the plate of food in front of him.

"A letter? Who are you writing?" Hermione pressed, hoping she didn't cause him to snap like he did in their fifth year.

"I just had to ask someone something." He shrugged, not really paying attention.

"D'you have a date yet?" Ron blurted out tactlessly.

"Er, no. Not yet. Who would want to be seen there with the mentally unstable, perpetually dangerous Boy-who-lived?" He said, slumping slightly. Amanda reached out and rubbed his back.

"Cheer up, I'm sure lots of people want to go with you!" _Like me, you dolt! ASK ME!_ "Just ask someone and see what she says." _If you ask anyone but me you'll regret it…_She smiled at him as he sat up and continued eating.

"I think I'll wait for the reply to the letter I sent." He replied, shaking his head.

Defense Against the Dark Arts had become too hard for many students, causing them to turn to Harry for help. Krum was teaching them advanced dueling techniques, having moved on from the Patronus charm after Harry offered to help the people who couldn't do it.

Krum and Harry were having a practice duel in front of the class, sending mild hexes and curses at each other. After only five minutes or so, Harry's stunner connected and knocked Viktor out. Ron cheered the loudest of anyone. Harry rarely lost a duel with Krum. Only when he was using spells that Harry hadn't learned did he win.

Transfiguration had become extremely hard too. They were continuing human transfiguration, turning someone into an inanimate object. The spell was temporary, so there were no long-term side effects, and no one had to worry about being stuck in another form.

Harry was holding a beautiful white teapot with yellow floral patterns, pondering if making tea would be wise. Hermione, on the other hand, was sitting on a squashy red chair, reading a book.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Granger, where are your partners?" Professor McGonagall asked, watching Harry borrow a cup that was Lavender. Harry waved his teapot before filling Lavender-cup full of tea. Hermione bounced lightly on her squashy chair. "Mr. Potter, kindly hand Miss Brown back to Mr. Finnigan and empty Miss White of her contents. Miss Granger, please remove yourself before Mr. Weasley changes back."

Seamus, Harry, and Hermione laughed and did as they were told, after Seamus drank the tea from Lavender. Harry poured the tea out the window and sat the Amanda-teapot back on the table. Hermione smirked as a jet of steam shot out at Harry after he had turned to get something from his bag. Hermione smiled and leaned in and whispered to her, "How long were you holding that steam?"

Before long, loud pops signaled the students turning back into themselves. Amanda looked ruffled, she leaned over to Hermione "I held it since he first started making tea." She leaned over to Harry and smiled seductively. "You may want to watch where you put your hands, Mr. Potter, teapots can be groped too." Harry turned the color of the chair that still hadn't turned back into Ron. "I'll excuse it this time, but if I find out that I've become a teapot and I feel your hands like that, I may have to do something about it." She laughed as Harry's red face turned pale white.

"B-but I-I-I… I'm… I wouldn't…"

Amanda laughed again and ruffled Harry's hair. "Yeah, I know, don't worry about it."

That evening as the Great Hall was filled with students and teachers eating their supper, a solitary owl flew in and made its way to the Gryffindor table. Many female voices sighed as they witnessed both the beauty of its flight and the beauty of the bird itself. The only person who hadn't noticed the owl was its owner. Harry was too absorbed in his food and the possible contents of the letter that he didn't know he would receive in a matter of seconds. Hedwig swooped over his head and landed in front of him, startling him out of his silent thoughts.

"Hedwig, you're back already? How was everyone?" the snowy owl hooted her response and held out her leg. Harry took the attached letter and offered her some food before she took flight again. When she moved, she fluttered to Amanda and held out her other leg. Harry stared at his letter and groaned.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Hermione and Amanda chimed in at the same time. He dropped the letter and pointed at the words on the envelope. They read "Harry Potter" in green ink and "Don't tell me you're that thick…" in vivid pink ink and different handwriting.

"Who is that from?" Amanda asked before taking another bite of her mashed potatoes.

_She's really interested in things related to us getting a date for the ball. **Quiet you! She's not interested in us! **_"The green ink is Moony… I'm afraid that the pink might be Tonks…"

"T-Tonks? Let me read that!" She commanded, forgetting her own letter while reaching for Harry's.

"You have one that only has pink ink, Mandy." Hermione chimed in, waving the other envelope in front of her. Both pocketed their letters and vowed to read them later.

_Dear Harry,_

_Interesting question. I don't know anything about women or the subtle hints that they drop. I have been told, however, that some hints you've been given are about as, how did Tonks put it, ah yes "subtle as a hippogriff in a tutu dancing with naked women in Diagon Alley."_

_In other words, I suggest asking her. _

_**Yes, you dolt! Ask her! A) She doesn't have a date. 2) She likes you, you great prat! C) If nothing else, you can go as friends!**_

I suppose you have your answer, Harry. Take care and tell Amanda I said hello. I hope you're both doing well.

Remus 

_**And Tonks!**_

Harry groaned. That didn't help him figure out _how_ to ask Amanda. The last time he "just asked" a girl he liked to a dance was horrible. At least Ron didn't have to worry about Hermione doing the same thing Fleur did to him… Harry wasn't that lucky… was he?

Hiya Mandy! 

_Sorry it took me so long to reply, but I've been a bit busy. Since Hedwig was here, I figured I would put some finishing touches on this (and Remus's reply letter) and send both at once. _

_First, Harry **does** like you! He wrote and asked Remus how he should ask you to the dance! I knew you could do it! Secondly, if he doesn't ask, tell him that I'll kick him square in his arse!_

_Harry's letter mentioned that you've been turning boys away, though he didn't know why. Tell me you didn't put a befuddlement charm on him, he's thick enough about women without having to be perpetually confused!_

Anyway, just flirt with him a bit. Get him alone and use your natural magic. I'm sure you found the present I sent with Seraphim? Wear that, get Hermione to make Ron take the invisibility cloak, and take him somewhere. He won't be able to resist.

Amanda opened the box on her bed, revealing sexy lingerie. "Yeah… if Harry could resist that, I'd try fixing him up with Colin Creevey." She laughed. "As if I'd wear it _now_… Maybe on our wedding night…" she laughed and turned back to her letter.

If that won't work, just be yourself. Maybe he'll see the light… what am I saying, the boy likes you! Just drop more hints… like a club on his head or something.

_Tell me how it goes!_

Tonks 

"Oh, great, so I should just club him on the head… great way to make a guy fall in love." She re-read the last few lines. "Well, Tonks said he likes me, and he _did_ write to Remus…" she glanced at the lingerie and smirked. _Maybe sometime soon…_

Later that evening, when Harry and Ron were struggling with their homework, Amanda and Hermione walked into the common room in their pajamas. Hermione had a robe over hers, but Amanda preferred her spaghetti strapped shirt and loose silk pants.

"Hi boys, mind if we join?" Hermione asked as they sat down. She whispered something in Ron's ear and giggled as he stiffened and made an excuse to go to the other side of the common room with her. Harry and Amanda raised their eyebrows and watched them walk away.

Harry shook his head and returned to his work as Amanda moved closer to him. "Go get your invisibility cloak, I want to show you something." She said huskily, seeing that he had the same effect as Ron when Hermione whispered to him. Minutes later she found herself under the cloak with him and a map open in front of them.

"Where to?" Harry asked as they walked.

"The Room of Requirement. I have something that I require." She whispered, ushering him along.

Before long they were in the room. Harry looked around, seeing a sofa and lots of candles that smelled like lavender and citrus. "What did you need to show me?" he asked as she forced him to sit on the sofa.

"Harry, we've become great friends in the past two and a half months, right?" She asked. Harry nodded. "Have you ever thought of taking our friendship further?" Her voice sounded weak and tentative.

"Honestly, yes. I've been thinking about that since August, actually." He said after a moment. "I just didn't know if you would want to, and I didn't want to screw up what we already have." He confessed, wondering why he was actually saying things like that.

"Harry, you should have said something. Maybe then it wouldn't have taken me two months to do this…" she said as she got closer and closer before covering his lips with hers.

They broke apart after a second, then found each other's mouth again, kissing passionately. Amanda was glad she was on the sofa; if they had been standing she would have fallen to the ground. After a second her body collapsed on top of his and he wrapped his arms around her. Both were struggling to keep their hormones in check as they began to get caught up in the moment and started to lose themselves in each other.

"Mr. Potter, if you keep that up I may just go mad…" Her voice was heavy with seductive tones. "Hey, I didn't tell you to stop…" she said before reclaiming his mouth with hers.

Harry broke away after another few minutes. "Miss White, I believe I have gone mad…" he kissed her again. "Tell me, will you accompany me to the Halloween ball?" Harry asked, trailing light kisses down her neck.

"Of course I will! You think you're going with anyone else after this?" She attempted a laugh but merely moaned as Harry lightly bit her earlobe.

The newfound couple kissed for a while longer before things nearly got out of control, at which point both of them decided to return to Gryffindor Tower. They shared one last kiss in the darkness before they parted for their own dorms.

Halloween arrived faster than Harry thought possible and he soon found himself putting his black velvet dress robes on. The green trim brought out his eyes, a fact that Ron didn't mind announcing in his mother's voice. Ron had dress robes of navy blue with a lighter blue trim. Harry thought of teasing him about his robes bringing out his eyes, but thought better of it. After Harry had spent fifteen minutes trying to make his hair lie flat, Ron convinced him to give up and stop worrying about it.

The common room was filled with boys waiting for their dates. The seventh years seemed to be waiting forever, as the seventh year girls were the last to arrive. Neville was already in the entrance hall waiting for Luna by the time the Gryffindor girls made their appearance.

Harry, Ron, Seamus, and Dean, lost control of their jaws when the girls made their way into the common room. Lavender was wearing low cut lavender robes that hugged her figure tightly, causing Seamus to gasp and twitch slightly as he moved to her. Parvati had bright red robes that accentuated all of her curves. Hermione had baby blue robes that had a modest neckline and fit rather tighter than what she would normally allow herself to wear. Her hair had been straightened and put in a fancy bun with ringlets streaming down in front. Amanda was wearing dark green robes that fit as tightly as Lavender's, boosted her curves as much as Parvati's (_As if she needed it_, Harry thought) and had a slightly lower neckline than Hermione's. (_Harry has quite enough to stare at, thank you very much! I don't need to fall out of my robes!_ She told Lavender and Parvati when they asked why she didn't show more skin.)

Harry and Ron were speechless. Hermione and Amanda found it quite amusing when they tried to speak but ended up looking like fish. "Shall we go?" Amanda asked as she linked her arm with Harry's. He nodded and found her steering him across the floor to the portrait hole.

The dance floor was filled with many circular tables, each able to sit eight people. Amanda and Hermione steered their dates to the table that Neville and Luna were sitting at with Justin Finch-Fletchley and Susan Bones. As the tables filled, Professor Dumbledore stood to make a speech.

"Welcome everyone. I hope you enjoy yourselves tonight. Before we dance, let's eat!" He clapped his hands and menus appeared on all the tables. "As with the Yule Ball three years ago, you just tell your plate what you want." He demonstrated by ordering a steak.

The Great Hall was filled with the sounds of people ordering their food when Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson sauntered up to their table. "It seems that Potty and the Weasel King have stopped sharing the Mudblood." Malfoy commented sending Pansy into hysterical laughter. "And I thought you couldn't do any worse, Potter."

"Jealous, Malfoy? I seem to recall you asking her on more than one occasion to go with you. I also seem to recall that she knocked you down on your ferret arse each time." Pansy scowled at Harry's comment. Malfoy's cheeks turned pink.

"Watch yourself Potter, you know what happens when people get too close to you. The Dark Lord will be most pleased with this information. Or Perhaps I should tell Wormtail?" He said before turning and walking away. Everyone ignored him.

After the feast, Dumbledore cleared the floor of tables to make room to dance and announced that he had gotten the Weird Sisters to play for them. "Shall we?" Harry asked, offering Amanda his hand as he stood up. She took it and allowed him to help her to her feet.

The Weird Sisters started by playing fast songs that anyone could dance to, but as the hour grew later they played more and more slow songs for all the couples. Midway through one of the slower songs, Amanda raised her head from Harry's shoulder and looked into his eyes. "You told me that you were a terrible dancer. When did you learn to dance this well?" She asked as he twirled her around the dance floor.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Harry laughed, "My mum taught me last week." Amanda's eyes looked as if they would pop out of her head.

"Your mother? But… but… she's…"

"Dead, yeah. Tonks told me that it would be strange for everyone involved if she taught me to dance the way we're dancing now, so she borrowed a picture of my mum and dad from Moony and changed herself into my mum. It worked well. Mother's are supposed to be the ones to teach their sons how to dance, it helps avoid awkward moments."

Amanda smiled, "At least you didn't learn from a girl that would try taking you from me. I might have had to hurt you for that." She teased, giggling at his fearful expression. "Oh calm down! I wouldn't hurt you… unless you like it." She laughed loudly this time. "You're fun to tease, you know that?" slapping his shoulder playfully, she took over and started leading the dance.

Harry and Amanda found themselves walking along the lake later that evening. Harry had his arm wrapped around her shoulders to keep her warm and to bask in the intimacy of the moment. The stars and moon were reflected in the lake's surface, making it seem like there was a second sky. Harry conjured a blanket and laid it on the ground before sitting down. Amanda joined him, allowing him to wrap his arms around her. Occasionally the water would splash Harry's bare feet as it attempted climbing further onto the shore.

"Too bad…" Harry said, removing his foot from the water.

"Hmm? What's too bad?" Amanda said turning her face so that she could look into his eyes.

"When the water was over my foot there was a star reflected on it. You look like you could use a star…" Harry replied, staring at the lake.

"You tried to catch a star with your foot?" Amanda giggled; making Harry think for the billionth time that night that anyone else that giggled was simply annoying, but when Amanda giggled it was cute. "That's incredibly cute, Harry." She said, turning his face downward toward hers. "I don't need a star. All I need is right here with me." Harry blushed, but didn't have time to think about it before her lips were pressed over his and he was pushed backward onto the blanket. Amanda was straddling his chest, her head bent down to fuse their lips together.

The dance had ended at midnight, much to the dismay of many students. Harry and Amanda weren't aware of the time, however, and lay on their blanket by the lake with their tongues doing their own sort of dance well into the early hours of the morning.

When day broke on the first of November, Harry's eyes were assaulted and his chest was being pressed on by something. He looked down and saw Amanda's arm and head resting on him, as well as one of her legs intertwined with one of his. After gently untangling himself from her he kissed her awake.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty." Amanda stretched and smiled brightly before asking where they were. Harry laughed and helped her up. "Come on, we have to find a way back into the castle and up to Gryffindor Tower. Maybe we can pretend we were sleeping on the couch in the common room or something.

Amanda paled. "We were out all night?"

"Yep, that's why it's all bright right now yet it was dark when we came out here." Amanda groaned. "I know, Tonks was bad enough… now we have to contend with the comments of lots of immature teenagers." They rushed back to Gryffindor Tower as quickly as they could.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Potter v. Corner

A/N: Ok… I suck at writing Quidditch games…

A/N 2: Tonks and Amanda aren't really sisters. They think of each other as sisters though, just a heads up.

November passed quickly. It felt as if Harry had only fallen asleep with Amanda by the lake the night before, but it was actually three weeks later and the Gryffindor-Ravenclaw Quidditch match was about to start.

Ron had forcibly shaken Harry awake; an unusually cheerful grin on his face, considering the sun hadn't even risen yet. "Come on, Harry! We have our first match today!" Harry grumbled and reached for his glasses.

"Okay, okay, I'm up." He managed to mumble before Ron could pull him out of bed by his feet.

Ron moved to wake Seamus and Dean, having to forcibly remove them from their beds and drench them with water. After they agreed to stay awake, Ron asked Harry to hold them to their words and left to wake Euan and Dennis.

"Bloody mental, that one…" Seamus said, shaking his wet head.

Harry, Seamus, and Dean showered and dressed before making their way to the common room. Ron was down there lying on his stomach in front of the girl's staircase. Euan and Dennis were rolling in the floor, laughing. Harry saw why when he noticed that the staircase had turned into a stone slide.

"Ron, you know we can't go to the girl's dorms…" Harry laughed, helping his friend stand up.

Ron shook his head before shouting for Amanda and Natalie. No less than three dozen angry women stormed down to the common room intent on flaying Ron within an inch of his life. The two Chasers, Beaters and the Seeker were smart enough to take seats when the female voices started shouting back from somewhere up the stairs.

Hermione tried desperately to protect her boyfriend from the wrath of the Gryffindor girls, shooting a desperate glance at Harry for help. Harry sighed and braved the crowd, walking to stand beside Amanda. Pointing his wand at his throat he magnified his voice.

"Oi, you lot, at least he didn't grab your feet and start pulling you out of bed." Seamus and Dean stood up and magnified their voices.

"He tried drowning us!" They said in unison. The crowd of girls had calmed down slightly by this point.

Euan laughed, getting off the sofa he was stretched out on. "He turned my pillow into a rock."

Dennis joined in with the other boys; "He made my blankets too hot. I thought I was going to burst into flames!"

"See, a little shouting didn't hurt anyone. He just wanted the team to wake up… for some reason." Harry said, his voice back to normal. The girls stopped trying to kill him. "You can all go back to bed.

"Amanda needs to stay… and someone should wake Natalie!" Ron protested. Amanda nodded, confirming that she would stay.

"Natalie's fine, no need to wake her since I'll be playing. We don't need two Seekers."

The early morning troubles weren't forgotten by the time the rest of Gryffindor Tower woke up. Luckily, Ron was on the pitch with the rest of the team. Harry was grateful for being responsible for the evening practices; he never had problems with all the Gryffindors being asleep.

After an hour and a half of practice, Seamus and Dean aimed the bludgers at Ron. "Oi, Weasley! Our match is in three hours! Let us rest or we'll lose!" Seamus shouted. The rest of the team agreed.

"I can keep going, what about you Harry?" Ron shouted his reply. Harry pretended not to hear, diving at the Snitch for the sixth time. Ron relented and allowed everyone to go in for breakfast and rest.

Back inside, Ron forced his team to eat as much as they could. For Seamus, Dean, and Dennis the first match nervousness would start soon. Amanda, while she played at her own school, was nervous about her first game at Hogwarts. Even Euan was jittery. Ron and Harry were abnormally calm, as if they had taken a mild sedative potion, which was entirely possible if the Slytherins had tampered with their food. Harry and Ron tried to ease everyone's fears and doubts, telling them to remember their tough training, but nothing would work.

As Amanda cleared her plate, and glared at Ron as he suggested more food, a voice in her ear caused the blood to drain from her face.

"Sleeping together by the lake… nice…" Tonks's voice called. Amanda turned to see a woman with dark blue hair and violent pink eyes. "You move fast, lady!"

"Tonks! What are you doing here?" Amanda blurted, trying to hide the fear she had of anything Tonks might say about the Halloween Ball.

"And here I thought you might be happy to see us," Tonks replied, shaking her head. Amanda looked to her other side and saw Remus beside her, talking to Ron and Harry. "I'm here for your match. Didn't you miss me, little sister?"

"I didn't miss the _teasing_…" Amanda said, emphasizing the last word.

"Wow, you _are_ subtle as a Hippogriff in a tutu dancing with naked women. How did Harry not get any hints?" Tonks laughed, shaking her head. Tonks knew that Amanda was shy, which made it all the more fun to tease her. "Tell me, are you pregnant?"

"WHAT?" No!" Many Gryffindors turned their heads toward Amanda.

"Then I do believe that you may want to rescue your boyfriend. Remus was going to have a nice little talk about finishing school before starting a family, or something like that." Any color that had returned to Amanda's face had faded again. She immediately stood and walked to the other side of Remus where Harry was sitting.

"Er, sorry Remus, but I need to borrow Harry for a little while." Remus laughed as she grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him away from the table and out of the Great Hall. Tonks sat down in Amanda's seat and filled a plate with food.

"I've missed decent cooking, what about you Moony?" Tonks said, shoving a sausage in her mouth. Remus refused to reply on the grounds that he might get hurt.

Amanda had pulled Harry into a broom cupboard without thinking of what she was doing. "We have a slight problem…"

"Hmmm? What's wrong?"

"Remus is going to have a little talk with you about… things." Amanda blushed furiously. "He's going to talk to you about not starting a family until we're out of school, according to Tonks… she asked if I was pregnant." She was looking at her feet by this time and failed to see Harry's eyes bulge.

"B-b-b-but we… we haven't… we're not…" Harry couldn't string a coherent sentence together.

"I know, but I think they think we are, after someone wrote them about us sleeping by the lake. Did you ever figure out who that was?"

"No, but my guess is that Ron told one of the twins… and if he did…" Harry shuddered. Amanda's face contorted in horror.

"Welcome to the second Quidditch match of the year! Today we have the champion Gryffindors going against Ravenclaw! This proves to be a great game after Ravenclaw's astonishing victory over Hufflepuff three weeks ago." Lee Jordan had completed his seventh year in Harry's fifth, and was replaced by Colin Creevey.

Ron and Harry stood side by side while everyone else pulled their robes over their pads. "Ok everyone! We've already won this match if you fly like you did in practice." Ron half shouted.

"Right, we'll win without trying if you guys play like that." Harry agreed. They were quickly learning that their pep talks didn't have the same effect as the ones they had been given by their previous captains. Exchanging glances, they nodded.

"We have the best Beaters since the Weasley twins, the best Chasers not on a professional team, and a Keeper that can somehow defend every goal at the same time. Then there's me."

"Oh you're a decent Seeker, Harry." Amanda chimed in.

"Yeah, mate, how many times have you missed the Snitch without Dementors crowding the pitch? Right, NONE! Now, you three," Ron said, pointing at the Chasers, "don't give Ravenclaw a chance to score. You two keep us safe, and maybe knock a few Bludgers into the Slytherin stands, and Harry… get the snitch or die trying." Ron grinned evilly. Harry paled.

"Ron! The last time I heard those words I lost all the bones in my arm."

"Right, because our Defense teacher had the brain of a Billywig. You'll be fine."

Harry shook his head and laughed. "Ok, lets go!" He and Ron shouted at the same time.

The Gryffindors shouldered their brooms and walked out to join the Ravenclaws on the pitch. "And here are our champion Gryffindors! Abercrombie, Creevey, White, Finnigan, Thomas, and Co-captains Potter and Weasley!" The Gryffindor team took its place opposite the assembled Ravenclaws. Madam Hooch walked out with the Quaffle under her arm.

"Mount your brooms!" Madam Hooch's whistle gave a shrill scream and the fourteen players kicked off.

"The Quaffle has been released! Abercrombie is in possession, zooming past Turpin and Goldstein on his brand new Nimbus 2003. Watch that Bludger!" Euan was hit in the back by the heavy black ball. He managed to stay on his broom but lost the Quaffle.

"Lisa Turpin of Ravenclaw recovers it. She's fast! She shoots… AND WEASLEY BLOCKS!" Cheers came from the Gryffindor stands.

Harry looked down and saw Luna Lovegood with a lion head on her hat. _Odd, she's a Ravenclaw… shouldn't she be cheering for her team?_ He thought as he resumed his search for the Snitch. Harry looked around and saw Michael Corner looking around on his own. _Wow, someone is doing their own Seeking for a change…_ A smirk crossed Harry's face.

"Potter's diving! It looks like he's seen the Snitch! Corner is closing in! Come on, Harry, You're on a Firebolt!" Harry pulled up a second before he would have hit the ground. Michael Corner wasn't as lucky. "And Potter executes a perfect Wronski Feint! Professor Krum couldn't have executed it better!"

Harry returned to his search for the Snitch as Michael pulled himself from the ground. His arm was broken, but Michael managed to return to the air. "Corner seems to be ok, though his arm is dangling limply by his side."

"White has the Quaffle. She looks like a red and gold blur! Watch out, Amanda!" Harry couldn't help himself; he searched for Amanda and saw her perform a Sloth Grip roll to avoid a Bludger that had sent her way. "White's in scoring range… AND IT'S GOOD! That brings the score to 40-20, Gryffindor in the lead."

"Corner's flying as fast as he can! Go Potter!" Colin shouted. "Corner would be completely mad to try feinting with that arm!" Harry caught Michael and spotted a glint of gold. Nothing mattered at that moment besides getting the Snitch, Harry put on an extra burst of speed and reached for the small golden ball. Harry pulled ahead of Michael and stretched his arm out. After a second, the golden ball seemed to fly into Harry's hand.

"POTTER CATCHES THE SNITCH! POTTER CATCHES THE-" A Bludger struck Harry in the back of the head as he held the Snitch in the air. Harry lost consciousness and fell off his broom. His body hit the ground with a dull thud. The entire Gryffindor team rushed to his side, as well as Terry Boot. Terry had been the one to hit the Bludger at Harry before the Snitch was caught. Amanda had tears in her eyes and Ron looked like he was twenty years older.

Harry found himself in the hospital wing when he woke up, a sharp pain in his back. "Did you finally wake up, sleepyhead?" Amanda's voice rang out. Harry's blurry vision located a blonde haired shape hovering over him.

"Can I kill Ron?"

"Sure, mate, I deserve it. Remind me not to say that ever again…" Ron tried laughing. "How do you feel?"

"Like I was hit by a rampaging manticore. My back is killing me." Harry laughed. Madam Pomfrey pushed Amanda and Ron away, pulling Harry up and examining his back.

"Nasty bruise, Mr. Potter, and some broken ribs. Take this." She gave him a potion. "Then you can go. It'll heal the ribs. The bruise you can keep until it heals itself." She walked off mumbling something about Harry ending up in there after every match.

Amanda, Ron, and Hermione helped Harry out of bed and to the door. The rest of the team was waiting outside for news. Harry shook his friends and girlfriend off and proved to everyone that he was capable of walking on his own. As the eight Gryffindors reached the end of the corridor, they came face to face with Terry Boot. He looked distraught.

"Harry, how are you? Not too much damage, I hope?" Terry asked nervously.

"I'm fine, just a bruise and some broken ribs."

"I'm sorry about that Bludger. I hit it before you caught the Snitch, but it didn't get to you until after the match."

"It's ok, it wouldn't be a Quidditch match if I didn't end up with Madam Pomfrey." Harry clapped Terry on the shoulder and laughed.

Remus and Tonks were waiting for Harry in the Great Hall to discuss the match, at least that was their excuse. Remus took Harry to the opposite end of the Gryffindor table while Tonks kept Amanda busy.

"Is there going to be a party tonight?" Tonks asked, looking as if she wanted to join in.

"Yeah, I think so."

"Just don't end up drunk and pregnant." Amanda was about to protest but Tonks held her hand up. "Your birthday is next week. Do whatever you want after that. For now, Remus is still your guardian and he's asked me to tell you this." Tonks grabbed a goblet of pumpkin juice and drank half of it. "Now that the big sister-slash-godmother duties are done, how is Harry's back? That was a nasty hit."

Remus and Harry were walking to Amanda and Tonks, Harry looking pale. "WAIT! Sister-slash-GODMOTHER? You mean… you and Remus are…" Harry looked up at Remus, who just shrugged and shook his head. The two men stood back for a moment to listen.

"No, not yet. He proposed during the summer, you know, but we aren't married. What? You don't want to think of me as your godmother?" Tonks poked Amanda in the ribs.

"No, no, I was just shocked is all. Is Remus as thick as Harry was?"

"Yeah, I think he is." Tonks laughed. Remus and Harry cleared their throats, though neither of them looked offended. "Yes, Remus is quite thick. He did propose, however, so I do believe that I'm ahead of you."

Harry sputtered and Amanda choked on her pumpkin juice. "What's wrong, Harry? Don't you want to marry her?" Tonks asked innocently.

"I… b-but… I… We're…" Harry looked at his feet. "After Voldemort is dead maybe. I'll have to put most of my life on hold until then."

"Then Voldemort has already won." Albus Dumbledore's voice came from behind them. "I don't mean to intrude on your conversation, Mr. Potter, but I couldn't help overhearing what you said." The headmaster looked grave.

"Harry, if you refuse to live life to the fullest, and instead you choose to push everything aside to destroy him then you will never destroy him." Professor Dumbledore continued. James and Lily said they wouldn't have a child until Voldemort was destroyed. Had they stuck to that, Tom wouldn't have been destroyed, or Neville Longbottom would have the scar on your forehead." Harry blushed.

"I suppose you're right, Professor." He looked at Amanda and caught her eye before both gazed at the floor, blushing furiously. The aged headmaster handed Harry a slip of parchment and made his way out of the Great Hall. Harry looked at the parchment. _Before your Care of Magical Creatures lesson on the Monday following Amanda's birthday, meet me in my office. The password is Blood Pops._

Six days later, Amanda turned seventeen and came of age. Harry had been charged with keeping her busy for the afternoon, a task that he was more than happy to be given. The two had gone for a walk around the grounds, talking about whatever came to mind. When the sun began to sink behind the mountains and the air became too cold, they went back inside. Harry could only hope that the final preparations were complete for Amanda's birthday party.

Gryffindor Tower had been busy all afternoon. Ron had borrowed Harry's invisibility cloak to go get butterbeer from Hogsmeade, Hermione had enlisted some of the other girls to decorate the tower, Seamus and Dean had asked the house elves to send up enough food for the entire house, and the younger students, even though few knew Amanda, did whatever they could to help out, though they were mostly in Hermione's way.

When the portrait hole opened and Amanda stepped through, she was pleasantly surprised. "How… Why…" she turned and saw Harry staring at her, smiling widely. "You _knew_ about this?" He nodded, suddenly fearful that she was going to smite them all. "Thank you!" she said, tears springing to her eyes as she leaped into his arms and kissed him fully on the lips.

"This is the first party I've had since I was ten. My classmates at the Salem Institute didn't think it was necessary." She kissed Harry again. He smiled stupidly as she pulled away and turned back to the party.

After the initial shock of her housemates throwing her a party had subsided and the party was nearly half over, Harry and Ron disappeared to their dorm and returned with their arms filled with presents. All of the seventh years had gotten her something. After opening all of them, she found herself disappointed that she hadn't seen one from Harry.

Harry smiled as he came up behind her. "I think you forgot one." He said, whispering into her ear. She turned and saw him holding a gold necklace with an intricate pendant of mixed emerald and sapphire. Her jaw dropped as he moved to put it on her. Her hand moved to the unfamiliar weight resting on her chest. The beautiful mixture of blue and green was almost hypnotic.

"H-Harry… Th-this is…" she turned to face him. "I…" she pulled him into a passionate kiss. "Thank you!"

Later that night, Harry and Amanda were sitting alone in the common room. Everyone else had gone to bed already because of lessons the next day. For ten minutes they had been yawning and were both ready to go to bed. Amanda stood and pulled Harry to his feet.

"Did you mean what you said to Remus? About spending the rest of your life with me after you kill Voldemort?"

"We have only been dating for a little more than a month, but we've technically been together since August, what with it being just the two of us most of the time. We both thought of dating the other back then… I'm rambling." Harry laughed lightly. "I may not be a Seer, but I don't see any reason why we wouldn't be together after Voldemort's annual attempt to kill me, and I get the oddest feeling that this time will be the end. I've been training with Dumbledore since sixth year to fight him. Occlumency and Legilimency, extremely advanced spells and ancient magic, things like that. If I can kill him before he can kill me, then I don't see why we wouldn't be together for a very long time."

Harry's speech had brought tears to her eyes. "Stay alive, Harry. I've lost too many loved ones lately… I can't lose you too." She said before kissing him goodnight and moving to the staircase. "Goodnight. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Night." Harry said, his mind racing. _I've lost too many loved ones lately._ Too true, and Harry was determined that she wouldn't lose anyone else. _I can't lose you too.­­­­_ He could win this war. _I've lost too many loved ones lately… I can't lose you too._ **_Did she just say… she loves me?_**


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: In a Flash of Flames

A/N: Time for a little plot development, cause we haven't had much of that.

Sorry for the lack of updates, but I've been busy. Maybe this will keep you occupied. Thanks for the reviews everyone, they make me continue writing. I already have the end of this one plotted, and a sequel is in the works...

Water dripped steadily from the hard stone walls. Normally the sound was irritating, but now it went unnoticed. A fire roared along one of the walls, popping and crackling to match the cold laughter echoing off the walls. The lone figure in the room pressed his fingers to his left arm where his Dark Mark was. Moments later his followers appeared in the home he had taken over, awaiting their orders.

Voldemort left the dank room he had inhabited for more than a year, walking out into a narrow hallway and down to a larger room where the Death Eaters had Apparated, an evil, twisted smile playing across his serpentine face. His followers glanced at him eagerly when he entered. When he saw Wormtail slide into the room from another doorway, he made his announcement.

"It seems that the accursed thorn in our side has been removed. Harry Potter is dead."

Eight hours earlier, Harry Potter woke in Gryffindor Tower after only two hours of sleep. Once Amanda had gone to bed, he returned to his dorm and pondered her words. After all his thinking, he still had no idea if she meant that she loved him or not. Now Ron was shaking him, saying something about breakfast.

"Gerroff, Ron… I'm… hippogriffs… fire crab." Ron stepped back, puzzled about Harry's mumbled words. The redhead shook his friend harder, finally stirring him from his sleep. "Wha? Ron?"

"Come on! Breakfast is almost over, and you have to go by Dumbledore's office before Hagrid's class." Ron poked him with his wand. Harry finally disentangled himself from his blankets. Ron left Harry to dress, returning to the Great Hall.

Harry joined his friends moments later, kissing Amanda briefly before piling food onto a plate. Ron gawked at him; shocked that Harry was eating much faster than normal, much faster than Ron, actually. Amanda and Hermione glanced at each other with amusement dancing around in their eyes.

"Busy night, Harry?" Ron asked before increasing his own eating speed. Amanda blushed furiously as Harry continued eating like he hadn't heard the comment.

After breakfast, Harry made his way to the headmaster's office, pushing all thoughts of the previous night from his mind. Now was not the time to dwell on it, especially if this were an Occlumency lesson of some sort; Dumbledore had been trying to arrange a test against Snape for a few weeks, and that was not something that Snape was going to see… ever.

The giant stone gargoyle moved aside when Harry gave the password, revealing the moving, spiraling staircase. Dumbledore's door was open and the headmaster was standing nearby with Fawkes. Before Harry could announce his presence, Fawkes trilled and left his perch on Dumbledore's shoulder and flew to Harry. Dumbledore turned to the doorway and saw his pupil standing before him.

"Ah, Mr. Potter. Fawkes has agreed to help Hagrid out with today's lesson. Will you be so kind as to take him when you go? He could fly himself, of course, but for some reason he refuses to do so. I would take him myself but I have urgent business to attend to." Harry nodded, absently stroking the beautiful red and gold plumage of the phoenix. Harry turned to walk back down the staircase, but Fawkes had other plans. The phoenix lifted Harry and disappeared in a bright flash of flames, appearing by Hagrid's hut.

"An' now tha' our guest is here…" Hagrid said, laughing as Harry and Fawkes appeared. Most of the class looked stunned by Harry's entrance, with the exception of the Slytherins. Harry looked around, confusion evident in his features. Fawkes refused to leave Harry's shoulder.

"Er, Who can tell us abou' phoenixes?" Hermione's hand shot up but Harry had already started talking.

"Every five hundred years or so they die in a burst of flames, then are reborn from the ashes. If they are killed before their burning day, they're reborn. Fawkes here had a burning day in our second year and was hit by the Killing Curse in our fifth year." Harry looked around, smiling inwardly when he saw the interested faces. "They can carry immensely heavy loads." Harry grabbed Hagrid's arm and Fawkes's tail feathers. The phoenix lifted them up and flew around the assembled students.

"Their song inspires courage in the pure of heart and fear in evil." Fawkes began singing the song that had filled Harry with the determination to escape from Voldemort in his fourth year. "And their tears have healing powers." Harry thought back to the Chamber of Secrets when the basilisk had bitten him. "Oh, and the Chinese phoenixes are depicted attacking snakes." Harry glanced toward Malfoy as he said it, remembering that it was Malfoy's father who had slipped Ginny the diary containing Tom Riddle's memory.

"Their tail feathers can be used in wands. In fact," Harry stroked Fawkes's head, "Fawkes gave two feathers." Harry held up his wand, "I have one. Voldemort has the other." The few Gryffindors that didn't know about Harry and Voldemort's wands being brothers gasped. The Slytherins had heard about what had happened when Voldemort and Harry dueled from their parents after their fourth year, and Harry had told Ron, Hermione, and Amanda. The rest should have recalled the interview with Rita Skeeter from fifth year…

"Righ'. Good job, Harry! Twenty points to Gryffindor." Harry walked to his friends; Fawkes still perched on his shoulder, to begin his assignment.

Midway through the lesson, Harry fell asleep. By the time class was about to end, Harry was still slumbering like a baby. As Amanda reached out to wake him, she squeaked. He was nearly on fire. She had woken him from his fever-inducing dreams a few times in the summer, but it was nothing like this. Reaching out to him again, she gently shook his back, trying desperately to wake him. After a few moments she succeeded, triggering a series of events. Harry's eyes bolted open, Fawkes let out a loud, piercing cry, and Harry, Amanda, and Fawkes all disappeared in a flash of flames.

Great gray mountains loomed all around. A deep forest lay ahead of the lovebirds, a beach behind them, grassy plains to their left, and a swampy marsh to the right. Harry immediately recognized the place from his feverish dreams. The hauntingly beautiful music that penetrated their ears was oddly familiar to Harry, not only from his dream, but from other places as well. It sounded similar to Phoenix song, but with something else added in.

"Harry, where are we? What is that sound?" Amanda asked from beside him, fear evident in her voice.

"I don't really know, but I think we should go to the forest."

"What? Why?"

"That's where I am every time I wake up. Then again, I always have a fever when I'm here in my dreams."

"This is the place you dream of? Maybe it's one of you-know-who's traps." She moved closer to him, allowing him to wrap his arms around her reassuringly.

"Fawkes brought us here, I doubt he would do anything to put us in danger." He looked down and smiled. "Besides, that music sounds like phoenix song. Voldemort hates it, he wouldn't be here." Amanda nodded meekly, still afraid but trusting in Harry's faith in the phoenix that had brought them there. Harry led the way as they walked toward the thick forest.

Voldemort stood in a large room in the large house he had been staying in since he killed the owners. A roaring fire held his ruby gaze. All at once his head jerked around and a look of triumph crossed his face.

"WORMTAIL! Get in here!" the Dark Lord commanded.

"Y-yes M-m-master?" the sniveling little man asked tentatively.

"It seems that our friend Mr. Potter's life is fading. You see, Wormtail, I am aware of his thoughts, feelings, and activities at all times, whether he knows it or not. Right now, however, his life signs are dropping. I can barely detect his presence. I know his Occlumency is not to blame for this, because I know that his Occlumency is useless where I am involved."

The blank look on his servant's face forced a cruel smirk from Voldemort. "Wormtail, you are to wait outside this room until I call for you again." The small little man bowed and backed out of the room, closing the door and stationing himself in the dank hallway outside. Voldemort peered into the orange depths of the flames and looked almost afraid. _And what will happen if one of us dies without the other being the cause? What would become of both of us if "one must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives," and you die now, Mr. Potter?_

From a distance the forest looked similar to the one on the Hogwarts grounds, but up close it looked more foreboding. Harry didn't feel like there was any reason to be afraid of what might be hiding in the shadows, but he knew something was there, watching and waiting, though it chose not to move on them for reasons known only to whatever it was.

Harry and Amanda had stood at the edge of the dark forest for almost thirty minutes, contemplating their choices, what Harry's dream had meant, and why they had been brought to this place. Eventually Amanda suggested they move on, that they were there for a reason and she wanted to know why.

Tonks and Remus were furious. They had just left the headmaster's office after learning about the disappearance of Amanda and Harry. Dumbledore couldn't offer any answers to their questions, and he even seemed _calm_ about it! The newly married couple ran into Ron and Hermione as they made their way to the doors in the entrance hall. Sensing the onslaught of their young friends' questions, Remus shook his head. The younger couple gazed at the floor. Tonks stopped and wrapped Hermione in a hug, noticing her gently shaking shoulders.

"It'll be fine, Hermione. Fawkes took them somewhere and you know Fawkes wouldn't let anything happen to any student, especially Harry." Remus said as she pulled away from Tonks and collapsed against her boyfriend's chest.

"I know, I'm… I'm just so worried. After…" Hermione didn't need to finish; the other three knew she was referring to Ginny.

Remus and Tonks were pressed for time. They had been at Grimmauld Place when Dumbledore contacted them, and Molly had been with them. Remus promised that he would return quickly to tell her all about the situation. Ron and Hermione weren't nearly as lucky. Since Care of Magical Creatures, they had been bombarded with endless questions about what had happened, as if they were experts on what went through Fawkes's mind at the time he took them.

After dozens of unanswerable questions, taunts from Slytherins who believed that Harry was with Voldemort, and their own fears and worries, they had gone to Dumbledore's office to ask if the headmaster knew anything. They were given the same answers Tonks and Remus got. _Fawkes took them, Fawkes isn't back, Fawkes wouldn't harm them in any way_:_ Fawkes has been acting odd around Harry all year._ Everything always came back to the phoenix that Harry had escorted to class. Their conversation with Dumbledore hadn't settled their anxiety any.

The deep forest was insanely hard to navigate. Anything without wings would find it nearly impossible to move. Luckily, Harry and Amanda knew severing and cutting charms.

The sunlight faded after a while due to the closeness of the trees and their overlapping canopies of thick leaves. Lighting the tips of their wands was pointless, anything could be waiting for them and that small amount of wand light wouldn't give them much visibility. Instead, they conjured cool flames in the palms of their hands and continued slicing their way through the dense undergrowth. After another half mile or so, they stumbled into a small clearing. The mid-afternoon sunlight made their flames obsolete, and also caused them a moment of near-blindness as their eyes adjusted. There were no trees in the large, circular area; only grass and strange wildflowers grew there.

The phoenix song that could be easily heard from every place they had been since Fawkes brought them to wherever they were had suddenly stopped, causing Harry to step closer to Amanda, instinctively readying himself to protect her if the need arose. Four bursts of flame signaled the arrival of the same number of Phoenixes, Fawkes among them.

Three things happened so suddenly that neither human had time to relax. Fawkes trilled softly, Harry was forcibly jerked away from Amanda by an unseen force, landing in the center of the square made by the phoenixes, and a golden light flickered, forming a circle around the red and gold birds and Harry. Amanda rushed forward, trying to reach Harry, but was knocked backward when she reached the place the light had shimmered.

The four phoenixes moved slightly, aligning themselves with the cardinal directions but keeping equal distance from each other and Harry. When they stopped moving, their beaks opened and very different but perfectly harmonious songs erupted, breaking the uneasy silence.

Amanda gazed into Harry's eyes and was shocked to see no fear or apprehension. For some strange reason he was perfectly calm and trusting. Before she could wrap her mind around what could possibly be calming him like this, his head was thrown backward and his body levitated and started spinning so fast it looked as if it would kill him. Amanda slumped to her knees and pounded the ground with her fists as tears poured down her face, only looking up when the phoenix songs ended. Harry remained spinning in the air.

Flames erupted from the phoenixes, bright golden flames. The phoenixes began spinning around Harry, creating a ring of fire around him. As the flames became a continuous circle, the haunting melody began again. The ring grew smaller and smaller as the phoenixes started moving closer to Harry's body. When they reached the point where their wing tips touched and formed a circle, they stopped. The fire continued to encircle Harry, though it was now moving up and down his body. After passing over his body and returning to its starting point, the flames began shrinking again. Within seconds they touched Harry's skin and passed into his chest, making him shine as brightly as the sun.

Harry's body continued spinning until the shine had diminished. When the glow had dissipated, his body stopped spinning all at once, he stopped levitating, and his unconscious form hit the ground with a sickening thud.

Voldemort's high, cold laugh caused Wormtail to nearly jump out of his skin. The small, mousy man scrambled into the room and awaited his master's orders.

"Go inform our guests of their hero's tragic demise." Voldemort turned to face his servant. "We have another guest arriving within the hour, make her as comfortable as the others." Wormtail backed out of the room, closing the door behind him.

The dank hallways became dirtier, wetter, and colder as Wormtail ran through them, eventually stopping at an ancient black door. Using his wand to open it, he cautiously entered, not trusting Bellatrix's binding spells on the girls after Wormtail had led her husband, brother-in-law, and sister to their deaths.

Two girls, clad only in their underwear, lay on the floor. Dried tears had collected dirt on their normally clean, beautiful faces. Wormtail was the only one allowed in the room, bringing the girls food and water twice daily, and though he wanted to conjure some clothes for them, or even a blanket, he dared not attempt it. Perhaps it was the life debt he owed Harry that made him care for these girls who played major roles in the young boy's life, or perhaps decades of being on the wrong side of everything had finally started to tear at his heart and his mind.

"Ladies, Mr. Potter is dead." He said and left the room, pausing before closing the door and listening to one girl's hopeless sobbing. The other girl had no tears left to cry. Wormtail turned to close the door, pausing when another young girl was forced into the hallway in her bra and panties. Bellatrix Lestrange delighted in tormenting these girls by removing their clothing in front of some of the other Death Eaters by using cutting charms. The humiliation they suffered from the lecherous stares and disgusting comments seemed to send Bellatrix into a state of euphoria.

"Here." Bellatrix spat at Wormtail and shoved the girl to the ground then cast a binding charm. She shot a death glare at Wormtail and stormed away.

Wormtail helped the girl into the room and shook his head, noticing the expressions on the other girls' faces. He shuddered inwardly and left the room, sealing the door behind him. The Dark Mark burned on his arm, he ran to his master's side.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Wedding Plans

Harry awoke abruptly, sitting upright, panicking because of the complete blackness in front of him. A soothing hand on his shoulder caused a wave of calmness to wash over him.

"It's ok, you're fine, your eyes need to adjust, that's all, and you're not blind so don't worry." An oddly familiar voice called from behind him, though he couldn't remember hearing it in his life.

Harry stopped squirming around and turned to the voice. More voices could be heard whispering around him. "Where am I?" he asked as his vision slowly adjusted to the darkness.

"This is where witches and wizards go when they die." Another voice called.

"Ginny?"

"Yes, Harry. I'm here. Your parents and Sirius are here too."

"Mum, dad? Sirius? Why am I here? Am I dead?"

"What do you think you're doing here, Harry? I mean we all wanted to see you, but this is too much." Sirius laughed. "Don't worry, you're not dead."

Harry could see everything now. He was in the same place as before, but different. He could see shadows of four birds and a woman crying over a body but they seemed distant and untouchable. He could also see his parents, Sirius, and Ginny smiling at him.

"If I'm not dead, why am I here?"

"That's a hard question to answer. I suppose it's because you've been given the Phoenix Flame." James said, waving his hand and creating five chairs.

"So that's what they were doing?"

"Yes, and now they're crying over your body to heal the burns and revive you. The young lady is crying for an entirely different reason." Lily beamed before indicating the shadows Harry saw before.

"She loves you Harry, trust me, I know all the symptoms of something like that." Ginny said laughing. "Take care of her. She needs you."

Harry nodded to his friend. His father started talking again.

"Harry, the Phoenix Flame is a way to give you a great source of power. You'll be able to summon phoenixes to help you and you can understand their language, though you can't speak it, you need not bother with Occlumency anymore, the phoenix magic in you will protect you from Voldemort, even if you were prowling in his mind he couldn't touch you, and other useful things. You're human, though, so if you die you're stuck with us, no resurrection from the ashes for you."

Harry nodded; this would be an interesting new experience. "Oh, and you're going to have a nice little tattoo on your chest." Sirius added, earning him a punch in the arm from Lily.

A flash of blue light signaled the arrival of another person, a man who looked remarkably like both Harry and James. He handed something to Lily and kissed her cheek before smiling at Harry and disappearing in another blue flash. Lily turned and smiled at Harry. "Harry, would you like to meet your sister?" she handed a baby girl to him. "Her name is Karen."

"What… how… sister?"

"I was pregnant when I died. When I got here, the baby continued to develop and I eventually gave birth." Harry looked puzzled, if that was the case, shouldn't the baby in his arms be sixteen years old or so? "I was pregnant for seven years, dear. Time passes differently here. A day here can be a year in the living world or it can be a second, a month, or a decade, whatever. You don't notice when you're dead. When you have a half-living baby growing inside you, however... The nine months became seven years, and in nine more years she has aged about four months." Lily smiled; eternally raising a baby seemed to make her happy.

"She'll grow up, grow old, and eventually die. Since she was born here, she is actually alive, but not alive. Much like you now." James said, smiling as his son held the baby. "Then she'll be reborn in the living world. They told us you were the same. People born here are born to fulfill prophecies in their next life. Time here gives them what they need. Their powers remain when they're born in the living world."

Harry's jaw dropped. He looked at the small girl in his hands. "Why us?" he said, smiling at his sister.

A pull from behind him, similar to a portkey, caused him to jump. "You're about to wake, dear." Lily said, retrieving her daughter. "We love you, Harry. Take care of yourself and Amanda." Lily kissed his cheek.

"You've done so much for the world… more than anyone should have to do… and there is still so much to be done. Don't let it become too much. Let your friends help you." His father said, wrapping him in a fatherly hug.

"Tell Moony and Tonks that I'll be there, they'll know what you mean." Sirius said, clapping him on the shoulder. The other's agreed wishing Harry to tell them the same from each of them.

"Don't worry about what happened to me, Potter! It wasn't your fault in any way. Take care of your girlfriend. Tell my family that I'm in good company. Your family, Sirius, my uncles… I'm never bored, I help your mum take care of your sister a lot." Ginny hugged him. He was jerked out of her grasp toward the shadowy form of his body.

The Great Hall was the same as always, though the Gryffindor table was a bit subdued. Breakfast had come and there was still no news about Harry or Amanda. Ron and Hermione sat up in the common room all night hoping that their friends would return. Their bloodshot eyes and constant yawning were obvious proof of that.

A few students had already approached them, asking endless questions. A fifth year Hufflepuff even asked if Harry and Amanda had run away and gotten married. The poor girl had tears in her eyes, but she seemed composed until Ron laughed. She burst into tears and ran away. Ron was slapped in the back of his head and glared at.

Dumbledore had graciously cancelled lessons, being the last day of term and all, for students to do some last minute Christmas shopping and packing. Ron and Hermione would be sending Hedwig off with a letter to Harry and Pig with a letter to Amanda, both asking where they are, if they're together, and what happened.

Neither could eat, so Ron and Hermione trudged back to the common room to write their letters and maybe try to sleep.

Amanda squealed with delight when Harry started to stir. It was midday and he had left his parents, Sirius, and Ginny nearly six hours before. Tears were still pouring down her cheeks and pooling on Harry's charred robes. When Harry's arms wrapped around her, she gasped and moved her head up to cover his lips with her own. After a long moment she broke away.

"Merlin Harry! Don't scare me like that! When you wouldn't wake up… I thought…" she started crying again.

Both of them looked up when the four phoenixes trilled softly. Harry heard the familiar sound Fawkes always made, but his mind could comprehend it as human speech. **_How do you feel, fledgling?_** All four asked.

"Like I've fallen from my perch." Harry replied, not knowing where the words came from.

**_That is to be expected. Tell me, fledgling, is this one the one who lays your eggs?_** One of the phoenixes indicated Amanda. Harry gazed at her.

"What?" she demanded.

"They want to know if you are the one who 'lays my eggs' whatever that means." Harry shrugged.

"It means, you thick-headed dolt, am I the one who bears your children." She blushed furiously. Harry remembered what his family had told him and looked into her eyes.

"What should I tell them?"

"Whatever you decide is fine with me, I plan on making you spend the rest of your life with me after that little stunt you pulled." She hugged him tightly and kissed him.

Harry looked back at the phoenix that asked the question. "Eventually she will be."

**_Shall we give her the Shadow Flame?_** Another phoenix asked.

Harry had never heard of the Shadow Flame, but he knew what it was. He looked down at Amanda. "Do you want to be marked with the Shadow Flame? It will bond us together and allow us to feel the other's emotions and pain and in some cases it can cause a telepathic link to form."

Amanda thought for a moment. "I told you that I would never let you get away from me, and what you described sounds like a great way to make sure of that. If you want to, I'll do it."

Harry thought about it. "Yes." He said, looking back at the phoenix.

A blue flame rose from each phoenix and moved to Amanda's back, burning a hole in her robes and moving into her skin. When she had absorbed the fires, a blue line appeared on her back and formed itself into a moving blue outline of fire. Harry was reminded of what Sirius had said and looked down at his own charred clothing. Ripping the front slightly, he could easily see a moving pattern of gold and red. It was hypnotic and reminded him of gazing into the Gryffindor common room's fire.

**_It is done. You are connected, Phoenix Flame to Shadow Flame._ **The third phoenix said. It turned to Fawkes. **_There is nothing more we can do for the fledgling. Guide him until he earns his true wings._** Fawkes gazed down at Harry but didn't reply. The other phoenixes left in a flash of flames. Fawkes flew to Harry's shoulder.

Harry told Amanda what had happened when his body was mostly dead, expressing his relief that she hadn't had to go through that. Fawkes moved his talons slightly, digging them into Harry's shoulder. **_Are you ready to return? It has been more than a full day since I brought you here._** Harry nodded and wrapped an arm around Amanda's waist and grabbed Fawkes's tail feathers. They disappeared in a flash of flames.

Ron and Hermione had fallen asleep while writing their letters. The rest of Gryffindor, those who weren't in Hogsmeade, had decided to let them sleep through lunch. They were the only ones in the tower when a bright flash of fire erupted and deposited Harry and Amanda in the floor. Picking himself up, after Amanda had disentangled herself from him, he glanced around and saw his friends asleep, Ron with a quill in his hand.

A surge of inquisitiveness passed over him, followed by mischief. "Don't they look cute?" Amanda jabbed Harry in the ribs. He realized at once that the feelings he felt before were hers.

"Like babies." He laughed. "Let's wake them up…" He walked behind Ron and saw the parchment. "They were writing to us." He announced.

"Ok, I was going to suggest letting them sleep, but now I think we should tell them we're back." Amanda said before shaking Hermione's shoulders gently.

Hermione's eyes fluttered open and through her blurred vision she spotted her friends. "Harry? Amanda? Ron! Wake up!" she kicked her boyfriend under the table.

"Tell Snape I'm in the hospital wing."

"He won't care, mate. He's not exactly worried about our health." Harry said, placing his hand on Ron's shoulder and pulled him up from the table. "You know how he is, _Weasley! Detention for daring to be sick!_ Then you'll spend hours disemboweling toads or something." A croak from Trevor, Neville's toad, told them that there were some who disliked Harry's comment.

"Hmm? Harry? Zat you?" Ron's eyes flew open, "Harry! Amanda! When… how… what?"

Hermione finally noticed Harry's charred clothing and the hole burned into Amanda's robes, as well as the patterns on their skin through the holes. "What happened to you two?" she pulled at a scrap of Harry's clothing.

"Oh you know, I was burned to death by phoenixes for protection, marked by phoenixes, talked to some people while they healed my mostly dead body with their tears, then Amanda was marked. Nothing unusual." Harry inwardly laughed at Hermione's eager yet shocked expression.

"We'll explain later. Right now I think we should shower and change clothes. We can't go around like this, can we?" Amanda said, tugging at her own robes. While hers weren't burned like Harry's, they were still dirty and ripped from their trek through the forest.

Dumbledore was most interested in their tale. After showering, they went directly to Dumbledore's office to inform the headmaster of their return. This wasn't necessary, however, as he seemed to be expecting them. Fawkes was resting on his perch, so their arrival was most likely announced before Ron and Hermione were woken.

"May I see these marks?" Dumbledore asked curiously when they had finished their story. Harry had omitted the part of his tale in which he had spoken to his family and Ginny, and Dumbledore didn't ask about it.

Harry pulled down the front of his robes and allowed the headmaster to inspect the Phoenix Flame. "Interesting…" was all he would say. Amanda asked Harry to pull the back of her robes down so Dumbledore could see her Shadow Flame. Again all he would say was "Interesting…"

**_Of course it's interesting. This magic has not been done in nearly six centuries._** Amanda gasped, realizing that she could understand Fawkes. Harry laughed and looked at Dumbledore.

"Am I to understand that Fawkes agrees with me?" Dumbledore's twinkling eyes turned to the phoenix. Fawkes trilled his agreement.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Amanda took a Portkey to Grimmauld Place for the holidays. They had missed the train due to Harry and Amanda being in Dumbledore's office. Tonks, Remus, and Molly were the only ones there. None of them had been given word of Harry and Amanda's return. When the four appeared, the adults were quick to pull Harry and Amanda up and berate them with questions. Harry cleared his throat and they all stopped talking. Ron and Hermione pulled themselves up and laughed.

"You should have expected this, mate." Ron said, laughing.

Harry turned to face the adults. Worry, fear, relief, and a host of other emotions danced across their features. Harry asked them to sit down, feeling that they would need to. Especially Molly and Ron when they learned that Harry had spoken to Ginny. He and Amanda started their story again, telling it for the second time that day, again omitting the part about Harry speaking to his family, Sirius, and Ginny. When they had finished, Harry looked to Molly.

"Can you call the rest of the Weasleys to join us?" he asked. Molly hesitated for a moment before nodding. Moments later the twins, Arthur, Percy, and Bill had joined them. Charlie was in Romania. Harry looked at each of them in turn, and judged from their faces that they knew he and Amanda went missing.

"You all know that we were gone, but since we've told the story twice today, I think we can spare the details for now. We were given some protection from phoenixes, in short. I asked Mrs. Weasley to call you because I was given a message for you." Amanda squeezed his hand, feeling his nervousness and apprehension. She already knew what had happened in the land of the dead and knew that it wouldn't be easy for him to deliver the messages.

"When I was given the Phoenix Flame, my body was mostly dead. I went to the place that witches and wizards go to when they die. I saw my parents, Sirius, and Ginny." A collective intake of breath from the Weasleys steeled his nerves. "Ginny told me to tell you that she's ok. She said she's in good company, that her uncles, my family, and Sirius were taking care of her. She said that she helps my mum take care of my sister." Harry laughed.

The Weasley family looked immensely grateful to Harry. Ron broke the silence first. "You had a sister?" Everyone glanced at him, eager for an explanation.

"Kind of. She was born in the land of the dead. My mum was pregnant when she died. Time passes differently there, so she's only four months old." Harry turned to Remus and Tonks. "Oh, and I have a message for you too. Sirius, Ginny, and my parents said that they would be there." Harry shrugged as Remus and Tonks looked at each other with shocked expressions.

"Well, since everyone is present and accounted for, we've got an announcement to make. We're getting married on Christmas Eve." Remus told everyone.

"We were going to push the date back, but now that these two have decided to come back home… The ceremony will be at my house, on the beach. You're all invited, even Charlie if you can get him away from those dragons." Tonks was nearly knocked out of her seat as Amanda and Hermione hugged her. Molly smiled widely.

_At least they found happiness in times like this._ More than one person thought.

A/N: Ok, the part about Harry's sister isn't important in any way… I don't even know what possessed me to put it in there. It's part of another fic I planned but never started. Lily gives birth while dead, and for creating life in the land of the dead, she and the baby came back to life… yeah, weird… anyway… I hope I didn't confuse anyone… I confused myself, so… lol… The next chapter will be about the wedding and Christmas… keep me supplied with reviews and I'll try to have it up sooner.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Yuletide Bliss

A/N: Ok, so I'm prolly not an expert on weddings… I've only been to three or so that I can remember, and I'm sort of planning my own, but this is something that comes more naturally to women. I'll try, though…

The day of the wedding dawned before Harry could even turn around, or so it seemed. Harry was awakened by a strong feeling of excitement that he knew couldn't have belonged to him. Who could get excited from dreaming about detention with Snape? Groggily, he stumbled out of the bed he occupied at Tonks's home. Remus wasn't allowed to see Tonks until the wedding, the muggle tradition that her parents insisted on meant that Harry had to return to the estrogen ocean alone after the bachelor party. When he returned, he noticed that Tonks, Amanda, Hermione, Molly, and some women from the Order had fallen asleep in the living room after what seemed to be a rather wild party.

Harry found Tonks and Amanda sitting at the kitchen table. None of the other women had woken up. Amanda looked up, an apologetic look on her face. She had obviously sensed Harry's irritation when he had been stirred from sleep. He assured her it was ok.

After drinking a cup of coffee and kissing Amanda, Harry ran back upstairs to grab his things. He was going to Apparate to Grimmauld Place for a number of reasons, mainly because he didn't want to try to prepare for the wedding (normally a twenty minute task after a shower) in a house full of women. Tonks may have had two bathrooms, but Harry knew he would never be allowed near one of them until each one of the ladies was completely ready. Sometimes causing conflicts was an excellent way to pass the time, but at the moment Harry would rather face a dozen Voldemort clones.

Remus was pacing the floor silently, waves of nervousness pouring from his body. Harry was at the end of his rope. "Moony, if you don't sit down I'll hex you. You're bad enough, but try getting married with boils all over your body."

Ron laughed, looking up from the sausages and bacon he was cooking. "He'll do it, Professor, he's mad!" Ron turned back to the food. "And the wedding wouldn't be bad… it's the wedding _night_ that matters when it comes to being covered in boils. That might be a little painful."

Remus blushed and sat at the table with Fred, George, and Harry. "And what would you know about wedding nights, Ron? Should mum and dad have a little talk with Hermy's parents?"

"Oi, George, not so loud. My head is splitting." Fred looked up at Harry, "If this is how you felt when You-Know-Who was around then how are you still alive?"

"A hangover is nature's way of telling you that Angelina was right." Remus said, conjuring an ice pack for Fred.

"Yeah, mate. Although that firewhisky helped with your singing voice, maybe we should do this more often. _'I'm a little teapot, short and stout…'_" Fred launched his ice pack at his twin, trying to laugh through his pain.

Harry, Remus, and Ron laughed, remembering the previous night when Fred had climbed onto their table at a small pub in the village that Remus grew up in. Fred had proclaimed to the entire room that he was the "Magnificent Magical Melody Maker" and proceeded to rupture dozens of eardrums as he sang as loudly as he could.

With the noted exception of Remus and Harry, the rest of the men from Grimmauld Place were by the lake at Hogwarts. The groom and his best man were waiting inside the castle. Harry had expressed a strange desire to talk to Professor Snape, and there was still a half-hour before Tonks and Amanda arrived.

Remus gazed out the front doors, watching as Molly took charge of the decorating and redecorating. Bill, Charlie, Ron, Percy and the twins had been forced to help their girlfriends, mother and father with the task, and their small army was quickly getting things done.

Moments later a sound from the passage leading to the dungeons caught the werewolf's attention. Harry was walking out with a broad grin on his face, tucking a slip of parchment into his wedding robes. "All done, Moony." He said, stopping beside Remus.

"What was the important business you needed Severus to help with?" Remus asked, trying to find the location of the parchment on Harry.

"I'll tell you later, it's a bit of a secret." Harry replied, walking out onto the grounds to the reception area to help the Weasleys, Hermione, Fleur, Angelina, Katie, Penelope, and a black haired witch Harry had never seen before, though it was obvious that she was Charlie's girlfriend, since everyone was working on something with their significant others.

Before they knew it, Professor Dumbledore had joined them, standing at the pedestal that had been placed at the water's edge. Remus was standing to his right, and Harry to Remus's right. The guests, members of the Order of the Phoenix, other Hogwarts staff, and Tonks's parents, were seated and Amanda was walking (_gliding_, Harry thought) down the aisle to take her place as maid of honor.

With a loud trill from Fawkes, which almost everyone understood was their cue to stand (Harry's brain translated it as "She approaches."), Tonks came into view and made her way down to Remus, Amanda, and Harry. Harry assumed she was in her natural form. She was the same height she normally was, but had long, black hair and the same nose that Sirius had. Her eyes were a rich, chocolate brown.

"As we stand here, honoring the desire of these two to join themselves together in matrimony, we will acknowledge four outstanding people who are not here in body, but have made their spiritual presence known." Dumbledore waved his wand and four clouds changed shape, one into a dog, one into a stag, and two into the faces of women. Molly Weasley gasped as she saw her daughter's face in the clouds.

"Nymphadora and Remus have consented to bind themselves to each other before the gathered witnesses in the eyes of wizarding law, and most importantly in their hearts. Does anyone have any objection to their union?" Dumbledore continued, no one objected. Dumbledore waved his wand and a golden circle appeared around each of them. Another wave of his wand drew them together and the circles became one, changing from gold to pure white. The light was nearly blinding.

When the light faded Remus and Tonks were floating and slowly revolving, gazing into each other's eyes. Everyone rose and clapped as they touched the ground, the Weasley twins fired specially created fireworks that formed an image of the newly married couple in the sky, claiming that their Wedding Whiz-Bangs would last for two weeks and changed colors from day to night so that they could be seen at all times.

"And now, Mr. and Mrs. Lupin would like to say something." Dumbledore said, moving aside.

Remus and Tonks took his place. Remus was the first to speak. "If anyone told me that I would be marrying Nymphadora when I first met her, I would have laughed at them. The scared little girl that sat between Sirius Black and myself at her sorting feast has certainly grown up. I still remember the first words I heard her say. 'Sirius, what will mum's family say? Aunt Narcissa is glaring at me…' She sounded positively frightened. The Black family, being mostly Slytherins, had just produced another Gryffindor, bringing the total to three. Her mother, Andromeda, and her cousin Sirius were the others. She never even glanced my way, even though she eventually fell asleep and slumped down at the table, eventually falling over onto me. I couldn't bring myself to wake her. When the feast ended Sirius and I had James Potter carry her to the dorms. We had to make him look good for Lily, after all." A few chuckles came from the guests.

Remus moved back, making room for Tonks to speak. "Remus and I didn't speak for years after he left Hogwarts. In fact, we've only really known each other for a little over two years. I must admit, I was a bit wary of him at first. An Auror never gets too close to a werewolf, unless it's part of the job. When I came to know Remus as a person, however, I found myself smitten. I placed all of my training aside and turned on the charm… it was pointless, though, because I learned that Remus was actually rather fond of me. He's the only person I've ever allowed to call me by my proper name, aside from my parents…"

Remus and Tonks shared tales from their lives together for a long time, and eventually stopped talking and began their reception. Harry, Amanda, Ron, and Hermione were seated at a table together, eating cake.

"How was your first wedding as a best man, Harry?" Ron asked, eyeing his friend closely.

"It was great! I couldn't be happier for them!" Harry looked down as if he were trying to wade through clashing memories. "I thought the bride and groom were supposed to exchange vows though…"

"Vows are private. They're not needed. Technically a ceremony isn't needed, as long as both agree to bind themselves together. In the ceremony, the gold circles show that they both consent, and the white light shows that they truly love each other. The ceremony is just for legal purposes, but marriage is supposed to be in the couple's hearts not on paper, so like I said; a ceremony isn't really needed." Ron replied. Hermione, Harry, and Amanda stared at him as if he had grown another head. "What?"

The others shook their heads.

Remus and Nymphadora decided to go on their honeymoon, leaving Harry and Amanda alone at their home. Now that the seaside cottage was protected by the Fidelius Charm, with Molly Weasley as the Secret Keeper, and the fact that they were both of age and could use magic if the need arose, was enough to squash any fears about the two of them being alone with no protection.

Amanda had questioned Harry about the small slip of parchment that he had brought from the wedding and placed on the newly married couple's bed. It wasn't until he closed the bedroom door and conjured parchment and quill, scribbled a note, and attached the note to the door with a sticking charm that he answered.

"That note tells them about a potion that Remus can take. I asked Professor Snape about it shortly after they told us they were engaged. What surprised me was that he agreed to work on it…" Harry escorted Amanda to the kitchen table and began to cook their supper before continuing.

"When I asked Snape about it, he scowled for a minute and then… I don't know what happened, but he… changed? Anyway, he agreed to perfect a potion he has been working on for years." Harry, positive that he didn't need to stand by the stove, sat across from Amanda. "It's a potion similar to Wolfsbane. If Remus takes it for the week before the new moon, and Tonks conceives a child on the new moon, the child won't be a werewolf."

Harry was pleasantly shocked when Amanda moved from her seat and an instant later had her lips pressed to his. "Oh, Harry, do you know what that will mean to them? That's the greatest gift they could ever receive!" Harry wiped away her tears and waved his wand to prevent the food from burning.

"They deserve it." Harry said, noticing that his girlfriend was on the table. A playful smile crossed his face. "Young lady, may I ask what you're doing on the table?"

"Nothing…" she said, smiling coyly, "Just thinking of something…" her face became serious. "D-do you remember what Ron said earlier? About marriage?"

"Yeah. That was rather shocking. I expected Hermione to say something like that, but not Ron."

"Yeah," she giggled, "What he described… didn't it sound sort of like what we did?" Harry cocked his head to the side as if he was trying to think. "I mean, we willingly bonded ourselves together when the phoenixes asked about marking me with the Shadow Flame."

Harry's jaw dropped. _She's right…we did agree to be bonded together… _ "I-I dunno… I suppose…" Harry looked into her eyes. Through their bond, he could tell that she was scared and, for some odd reason, hurt. Harry didn't have time to say anything before she bolted from her place on the table and ran back to her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

Harry raced upstairs after her, tentatively knocking on her door only to be met by her sobbing voice demanding that he go away. Harry resigned himself to sliding down the wall beside her door and staring into his own room. "Mandy, what's wrong? Are you ok?"

"I'm just fine, Harry, now go away." Amanda half shouted. Harry felt a great tug on his heartstrings.

Taking out his wand, Harry summoned his school bag from his room, took out a quill, some ink, and some parchment. He tried to think of the best way to phrase the letter he had to write, and when he eventually gathered his wit, he began his task. A couple of minutes later, he was finished. Thinking insanely hard, he managed to call Fawkes to him, just as the phoenix told him he could do. "Take this to Dumbledore and tell him I want a reply." He said, Fawkes nodded his red and golden head and disappeared in flames.

"Harry, why are you sitting outside my door?" Amanda asked; her voice sounding strained.

"Because I'm not going to leave you all alone. You're sad and upset and hurt and I don't know why. I'm worried about you."

Amanda didn't respond, she just opened the door and came to join him in the hallway. They sat there in silence for nearly a half hour until Fawkes returned. Amanda was startled, but Harry reached out for the letter in the bird's beak without showing any sign of surprise. He read the note and passed it to Amanda. She read it and began crying again.

_Dear Mr. Potter, _

_Your question is one that I wasn't prepared for at all. I was, of course, wondering if I would be receiving such a letter after the marriage of Remus and Nymphadora, though I knew I wouldn't have a clear answer._

_For all intents and purposes, yes, you and Miss White are married. It is not a legal marriage, however, and should anything happen between you (though I hope that nothing ever will) and you feel the need to go your separate ways, you will be free to pursue relationships with other people, and even marry other people. I am straying from the content of your letter, however, so I digress._

_As I said, the marriage is not legal in the eyes of the Ministry. I will be so bold as to tell you this; the Shadow Flame wouldn't be on Miss White's (or perhaps I should say Mrs. Potter's, if she does not mind?) back if you did not care deeply for one another._

_Should both of you desire to make the marriage legal, I will be more than willing to perform the ceremony._

_Albus Dumbledore,_

_Headmaster_

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry 

"Mandy? What's wrong?" Harry asked, sliding closer to her and drew her into his arms.

"N-nothing. It's just… we've only been dating a couple of months, and now we're married? We never knew what we were getting into, and now… now you're stuck with me." She dried her tears on her sleeves.

Harry rocked her back and forth, gently running his hands up and down her arms. "We've been together for five months, even if we have only been dating for two…" He closed his eyes and rested his head against the wall. "You know, I was thinking about asking you after we left school…" He looked down at her, peering into her eyes. "It seems that we've skipped that step though."

"Oh, Harry… you were really… you were going to…" Harry nodded. Amanda hugged him tightly and pressed her lips tightly to his. "I love you, Harry Potter," she sniffed the air, "even if you did end up burning our supper."

"And I love you, Amanda White, even if you are the reason that I burned our supper."

"That's Potter, not White. Get it right next time." She laughed as his jaw dropped for the second time that night.

Ron was rudely awoken on Christmas morning when Hermione began beating him with a pillow. He immediately attempted to get out of bed and rush to get his presents, but Hermione stopped him and told him that it would have to wait until he popped over to get Amanda and Harry. He looked crestfallen for a moment, but the feeling he had was soon replaced by a look reminiscent of Fred and George. He agreed to go. Hermione kissed him and left him to dress.

Apparating into Harry's bedroom seemed to be the safest option out of all the rooms at the small cottage. He had just been jarred into consciousness by a pillow slamming into his head, after all, and what could be a better place to do the same to Harry? Ron was mistaken, however, because once he arrived he noticed that Harry wasn't there. Silently creeping out of the room, he began his search for his friends.

Harry and Amanda had stayed up rather late, discussing their relationship. Now that they had been made aware that they had subjected themselves to marriage, they needed to clear up a few things. After their discussion, Harry suggested they go ahead and exchange their gifts.

Harry and Amanda raced to their bedrooms and ran back to their places on the sofa. When both had returned, Amanda forced Harry's eyes shut, closed hers, and they both placed the gifts behind their backs on the other's lap. As soon as Harry felt the new weight in his lap, he opened his eyes. He quickly unwrapped his gift. The simultaneous gasps confirmed that each loved their gift. Harry had received a Foe Glass that could be charmed onto one of his glasses lenses and a note saying that it wasn't quite like "that odd Moody guy's eye" but it was useful for an Auror in training nonetheless. Amanda had received a golden ring with an emerald set into it, and diamonds surrounding the emerald. Harry informed her that it would have originally been a promise ring. The ring also had a useful little charm that allowed the wearer to wave the hand with the ring on it over a person and cause any poisons and any injuries to glow over the affected area (poisons glowed green and injuries glowed blue), a perfect gift for any Healer.

Eventually, they fell asleep in each other's arms while the TV played Christmas cartoons. This was how Ron found them.

Anyone looking at Ron's face would assume he was one of his elder brothers. The first thought that crossed the sixth Weasley's mind was _noise… lots of noise._ After sneaking to the kitchen and grabbing a large cooking pot and a long metal spoon, he returned and began banging the spoon inside the pot, effectively scaring the pair on the sofa to the point that Harry had pushed Amanda behind him and had his wand trained on Ron. As soon as Harry lowered his wand, Ron burst into laughter. Amanda and Harry pulled their blanket closer to themselves.

"Oi, go into the kitchen for a minute, mate." Harry said. Their snogging had gotten rather intense the previous night, and most of their clothing had been discarded, leaving only a long shirt and underwear for Amanda, and boxers for Harry.

Ron's eyes bulged as he saw the clothing on the floor, causing improper thoughts to run wild in his head. He started moving to the kitchen, his face as red as his hair. "Get your mind out of the gutter, Weasley! It's not what you're thinking!" Amanda shouted, blushing as darkly as Ron.

Christmas at the Burrow could be described by many words, but Harry settled for "festive chaos". The six Weasley brothers, their adoptive brother, Hermione and Amanda, as well as some people Harry had never seen before, began their morning with a furious snowball fight. The snowballs were charmed to leave an inky substance after they hit which turned each person a different color.

After their hands were well beyond numb, and no inch of exposed skin was its original color, the game was considered a draw. After the twins promised that no matter how much they washed, their colors wouldn't fade, an emerald Harry, a sapphire Amanda, a scarlet Hermione, and a maroon Ron stalked back into the house.

Harry's well-developed Legilimency skills couldn't avoid tapping into Ron's mind, as if Ron's head was a house and every window and door was open and the residents inside were screaming the same thing.

"Because they know you hate it, mate. I'm green because of my eyes, Amanda's blue because… well… it _does_ look rather fetching… and Hermione is red because… I don't know that one, but you're maroon because you hate it." Everyone turned to look at Harry.

"That's creepy, mate, reading my mind like that…" Ron said with false indignation.

"I couldn't help it, you guys know I never use Legilimency on purpose." Harry tried to defend himself, but noticing Ron's smile he gave up.

After everyone opened their presents, Molly called everyone to the recently enlarged kitchen for a feast to rival any that Harry had eaten in his seven years at Hogwarts. Mrs. Weasley had certainly outdone herself this time, but Harry couldn't help thinking that the food would be much better if all the Weasleys were there to share it.

Charlie had been summoned back to Romania when a Peruvian Vipertooth started attacking the dragon keepers. They had taken delivery of the Vipertooth (on the day Charlie came to England) for breeding purposes, to see if they could create a new species by making two different species breed. They had paired it with a Common Welsh Green, and it didn't seem to have any interest in the other dragon. Bill had decided to spend Christmas with Fleur's family in France, since she spent the previous Christmas with the Weasleys. Ginny wouldn't be attending any Christmas dinners unless the dead could eat, though Harry felt a slight tingling sensation on the back of his head when he thought about her, perhaps the Phoenix Flame allowed him to interact, however obscurely, with the dead and she slapped him.

Harry was snapped out of his depressing thoughts when Percy's food had attempted to attack him. The twins were attempting to repress an explosion of laughter but failing miserably. Molly shot them a death glare and they immediately performed the counter charm to the spell they had used to torment their elder brother. Harry noticed that Ron was laughing as hard as the twins, and couldn't hold back a chuckle of his own. It was only when Amanda pinched his leg that he stopped.

After the incident with Percy, which the four students were later told was because the twins still hadn't forgiven him for deserting his family when Voldemort had first returned, nothing really distracting happened. Ron had received a new set of Quidditch balls from Charlie and demanded that they all play a game. Hermione, who was as good a flyer as a rock was a swimmer, refused but after a whispered conversation from Ron, she agreed to play Chaser against Amanda, Harry, and George.

Harry had pocketed a specialized Snitch that Charlie had sent him, a note attached to the golden box it came in said that it would automatically fly to his hand when he commanded it to do so; quite useful in case practice had to be called off early. He would be playing Keeper for his makeshift team, but since Hermione couldn't fly well, he thought he might test the Snitch out.

Three and a half hours later, Harry's team was victorious, being the first to five hundred points. The six players were soaked from sweat and snow and freezing to the bone. It was now quite late in the afternoon, as proven by the slowly setting sun. Amanda and Harry had informed the Weasleys that they were leaving. Harry wrapped his arms around Amanda and the two disappeared in a burst of fire.

A/N 2: Hmmm… not a lot going on at Christmas. None of this will be important, really. I didn't want Harry and Amanda to be married this soon, but a friend was over when I was typing and he pointed out that if I was going to keep the part about how wizard weddings work, it would only be right. That won't really be important though, they'll keep it a secret, or something… More about marriage in the final chapter… whenever that'll be.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Disappearances, Dates, and Dreams

Wormtail made his way to his newfound "friends" with the food that the house-elves had prepared. Over the course of time the girls had learned that while Wormtail was a Death Eater, he wasn't like the others. He had a sense of morality.

The girls could tell that he was awkward around them because of their clothing situation, and on more than one occasion, he had conjured clothing for them while he visited, though it had to be taken away when he left, leaving them once more in their undergarments in the freezing room.

The three girls looked nervous when their door opened, but seeing Wormtail with food calmed them somewhat. Wormtail conjured clothing and blankets for them and took his place on the floor. "I can't stay long today, girls. The girls were used to this; Wormtail always sat and waited for them to finish eating. Occasionally they would talk, though it wasn't without a hint of bitterness on the girls' parts. Today was no different, and much like every time, their conversation was about Harry and the Weasleys.

"Why won't you tell us why you're so interested in them, Wormtail?" One of the girls said, evoking a long sigh from Wormtail.

"Ok, I'll tell you…" he said, steeling himself. "Forever ago, or so it seems, when I was a student at Hogwarts, two of my former friends and I became Animagi to keep another friend company during his monthly Werewolf transformation... I'll go ahead and tell you that our friend was Remus Lupin, since you had him as a teacher.

"My other friends were Sirius Black," the girls gasped and backed away slightly, "Don't worry, he was innocent… he was falsely imprisoned because everyone thought he killed twelve muggles and me. Anyway, the fourth of us, and our unofficial 'leader' of sorts was James Potter."

Wormtail sighed again, a solitary tear rolling down his cheek. "I was named James and Lily Potter's secret keeper, not Sirius Black. I'm the reason Harry grew up without parents… my best friends…" another tear escaped his eye. "I was actually at their home in Godric's Hollow hours before it happened. James and Lily had Remus, Sirius, and I over for a Halloween celebration. Remus left early because of the full moon. Sirius had arranged to meet a young lady for the evening, so he left soon after that. I had plans of my own, though they had drastically changed when I felt the Dark Mark burn on my arm. I had just changed Harry's nappy and put him to bed when it began to burn."

The three young ladies were crying silently. Each of them had known, much like everyone in the wizarding world had known, what had happened on Halloween in 1981. "I honestly thought the Dark Lord would go after the Longbottom boy, as he was a pureblood and Harry was a half-blood. When I Apparated to him he demanded the location of the Potters, and one cannot refuse the Dark Lord…

"After I tracked down Sirius and placed the blame on him, I blew up the street, transformed into my animagus form and sought a wizarding home. I ended up with the Weasleys. I spent twelve years with them, most of the time living in Gryffindor Tower. When Sirius escaped Azkaban he came there to find me. He was never after Harry. When he slashed Ron Weasley's curtains open he was looking for me.

"I regret the things I've done. I don't deny that I did it only to surround myself with power…" Wormtail sobbed openly now.

The three girls attempted to comfort the only male Death Eater that they would ever feel remotely safe around. Any other would make their lives more of a hell than they already were. The same was probably true for the female Death Eaters too. It was a female Death Eater that had stripped them of all but their undergarments, after all.

The pudgy little man seemed to regain his composure after a few minutes. He excused himself, saying that he would be back for their dishes.

Harry, Amanda, Ron, and Hermione would be taking a Portkey back to Hogwarts from the Burrow. They weren't scheduled to leave until noon, but everyone gathered for breakfast. The morning was going great until nearly an hour before they had to leave when the post arrived. Hermione's usual Daily Prophet landed in front of her with a most disturbing headline.

Potter's Female Friends Vanish 

Earlier this week, Daily Prophet reporter Rita Skeeter was sent an anonymous letter stating that any and all females associating with the Boy-Who-Lived are prime suspects for Death Eaters. Perhaps it isn't such a coincidence that Potter's ex-girlfriend Cho Chang and two of his former Gryffindor Quidditch team members, Angelina Johnson and Katie Bell, have gone missing. The letter advises all females who have had contact with Potter in the past to…

Hermione stopped reading, balled the _Prophet_ up and ignited it with their wands. "Pay no attention to it, Harry. Fred and George have told us that they received letters from Katie and Angelina saying that they were traveling with Angelina's family, remember?" The look of mixed shock, despair, and fury had not disappeared from Harry's face.

"Where is the _Daily Prophet _located?" Harry's calm voice seemed out of place.

"D-Diagon Alley…" Ron replied, hoping his best friend wouldn't do anything stupid. Before Ron had blinked, Harry was gone in a flash of flames.

A screaming witch drew the attention of many reporters and photographers at the Daily Prophet. Harry was standing in front of her, flames surrounding his body, asking for Rita Skeeter. Many flashes told Harry that his picture would certainly be making the _Evening Prophet_. Tapping into the phoenix powers he and Amanda had recently discovered during their time alone, he set the film in each camera on fire with a wave of his hand. As he turned around, he saw Rita meekly trying to slip away.

"Let's talk, Rita." Harry said, using his phoenix Apparation to appear in front of her. She nodded and led him to a desk.

Amanda paced the floor. She could feel Harry's unbridled fury at Rita Skeeter. Knowing that Harry couldn't fully control his phoenix powers, she worried that he might accidentally burn the place to the ground. Hermione and Ron were looking anxiously at her, as though asking what was going on with Harry.

"When he gets back…" Amanda stopped in mid-sentence, causing Ron and Hermione to stare. "He knows something. I can tell that he's recognized something, but I don't know what."

"What is it, Harry? Why did you stop talking?" Rita asked, surreptitiously positioning her Quick Quotes Quill on a bit of parchment.

"I know who wrote this." He said, slapping his palm onto the desk, the letter beneath his hand.

"Who?"

"Draco Malfoy. I've had to hand back his homework on occasion, I know this handwriting." Harry heard the scratching of the acid green quill. "Put the parchment on the desk, Rita." His voice allowed for no protestation, and she did as she was commanded.

"You know, with that tone of voice making it impossible to refuse anything, you could get into trouble." She said with a suggestive wink. Harry was taken aback at the husky voice that the woman who was nearly thirty years his senior had used.

"Er… right…" he ignited the parchment and Quick Quotes Quill before phoenix Apparating back to the Burrow.

Amanda was startled when Harry emerged beside her in the same fashion that he left. She saw a piece of parchment in his fist. "Everyone, can any of you recognize the penmanship?" he said, spreading the parchment on the table. After only a few seconds, Hermione came to the same conclusion as Harry.

Before they could decide on a course of action, Molly rushed into the room with their Portkey. "Have a good term, dears. Do try not to get these girls in trouble." She said with a glare at Ron and Harry. Amanda could sense Harry's confusion and leaned over to whisper "Trouble means pregnant, dear." Harry promptly turned the same shade of red as Ron.

"If only they knew we were technically married." Harry whispered back.

The four of them gathered together and touched the Portkey with one hand while grabbing their trunks with the other. Within seconds they felt the familiar jerk from behind their navels and the Burrow was replaced with the Gryffindor common room.

"Very good, Harry, very good indeed!" Albus Dumbledore praised one night. The N.E.W.T.s seemed to be a lot closer on this side of the Christmas holidays and with Harry's extra lessons with Dumbledore he was hard pressed to find any time to spend with his friends, and more importantly, with Amanda, outside of the library. Harry began to slightly resent the time he was spending in the headmaster's office. The only reason he remained was so he would have a chance of surviving against Voldemort.

January had slipped by and February was nearing its halfway point. The halfway point of this particular month, however, was causing Harry and Ron great distress. Ron was on his own with the problem, but Harry had an idea. The trick was to convince the headmaster of it.

"I've never seen anyone master this spell so quickly, Harry. The Love Shield is vastly more complex than any other shield charm, and the fact that you managed a shield on your first attempt… well, it's unheard of!" Dumbledore seemed awed by Harry's mastery of the charm. The Love Shield was essentially a shield charm that used the love given to the person who cast the charm to form a protective shield. If used with enough love, it was theoretically possible to stop the Killing Curse, though no one had ever attempted it for obvious reasons. Dumbledore and Harry took their seats at the headmaster's desk.

"Sir?" Harry began. "Valentine's Day is Saturday, and I know we're going to be allowed into Hogsmeade and all… but I was wondering if Amanda and I might stay out past curfew… Tea at Madam Puddifoot's might be great for most couples, but I don't think it'll work for us. I've heard of a quaint little restaurant in the village…" Harry looked pointedly at his hands in his lap.

"I'm afraid not, Harry. I've been unable to avoid using Legilimency on you, your close proximity combined with the way your mind is working… I'm sorry; I do not mean to intrude upon your thoughts." The headmaster noticed Harry's disappointment.

"Normally I would allow it, but I'm afraid that Lord Voldemort might also be listening in on your mind." Dumbledore paused and thought for a moment. "I believe that Dobby might be persuaded to help you with your dilemma. Ask him for help."

"Th-thank you, Professor." Harry nodded and took his leave, wondering what Dobby would be able to do.

The two days remaining until Saturday had passed in the blink of an eye. Harry was woken rather violently when Amanda jumped onto his bed.

"Get up, love, you're my slave today…" Amanda laughed as she ran her fingers through his sleep-tousled hair. "You promised, remember?" Harry sat up and reached for his glasses.

"You said that I'm supposed to drag you around and make you do my bidding until your surprise for me is ready. If you get up, maybe I'll give you a present."

"Oi, why does Potter get special treatment? The rest of us need presents too." A sleepy voice called from Seamus's bed.

"He's getting his present now because he's mine. I daresay you already got a present, Finnigan. Lavender didn't make it back until three this morning." Amanda retorted. Harry failed to suppress a snort.

Not too long after that morning's half-exasperating, half-exhilarating awakening, Harry found himself struggling to keep up with Amanda as she darted from shop to shop in Hogsmeade. It seemed as though he were in Honeydukes one second and in fifteen different shops that he had never entered before in an equal number of seconds.

Not that he was complaining. He had promised, after all. When he finally managed to catch her up and remain in one spot long enough, he would find himself admiring the present she had gotten for him… well, one present, anyway. Something similar to a pocket watch that, when opened, produced a sort of star map. The map, however, showed false constellations as well as some real ones and had each labeled: Canis Major, with Sirius labeled by the brightest star and "Padfoot" in parentheses, Lupus with "Moony" in parentheses beside it, and a stag labeled as "Prongs. There were also others in the shape of humans. The human constellations were extremely detailed and Harry didn't need the labels to tell him who they were. The ones labeled "Harry Potter" and "Amanda Potter" stood beside one another much like the ones labeled as "Ronald Weasley" and "Hermione Granger" did, but when Harry pressed in on the button that opened the star map when it was closed, the Harry and Amanda constellations began to dance around the galaxy. Amanda was always quick to hit him before someone noticed her constellation's labeled surname and forced him to put it back in his pocket.

Harry almost collapsed when he and Amanda returned to the common room that evening. He marveled at her ability to run around the village, stopping at nearly every shop, and show no signs of weariness. The energetic blonde was bouncing on her heels in front of him, smiling brightly.

"Today has been perfect Harry." She said as she calmed down and sat half on his lap and half on the arm of his chair.

"It's not over yet," Harry laughed as she raised an eyebrow. "Not even remotely what I meant. Get your mind out of the gutter." She glared at him but he could see humor and mischief sparkling in her eyes.

After nearly an hour of snogging, Harry moved from their chair, leaving Amanda sitting alone. She groaned her disapproval, causing Harry to laugh. He ignored her glare and helped her to her feet, claiming it was time to eat. Amanda immediately pointed her wand at him and tried to check for any glamour charms on him. When he asked what she was doing she replied that she had to make sure that she hadn't been snogging Ron Weasley.

Harry blindfolded Amanda and the couple made the familiar trek toward the Great Hall, noticing that no students were in the common room or the corridors on the way. When they reached the third floor, Harry led her away from the usual path to the Great Hall. She could sense that this wasn't the right way, but she didn't say anything about it; Harry had been at the castle for nearly seven years, while she had merely transferred for her last year. When they stopped Amanda finally spoke up.

"Where are we, Harry?"

"Dancing Dragon" Harry replied, watching as the stone wall opened to reveal a staircase. "Come on, this way." He took her hand and led her downward.

At the bottom of the long, spiraling staircase was a dimly lit corridor with ten or so doors spaced evenly on both sides of the hallway. Harry walked down and counted the doors on the right side, finally stopping at the sixth door. Tapping his wand three times, he said "Aphrodite's Rose" and gasped as it opened to allow their entrance.

Amanda was desperate to find out what was going on and started to reach for her blindfold, only to be stopped when Harry grabbed her arms and led her into the room. "Are you ready for your present?" he asked as he moved her to a chair and instructed her to sit.

"Of course." Was her half exasperated reply, "but why all the secrecy about where we are, Harry?" He laughed softly and removed her blindfold. Her breath caught in her chest and her jaw dropped.

"I take it that you like the room, then?" Amanda mutely nodded.

The room was almost the size of the Gryffindor common room. It was lit with a chandelier bearing seven large scented candles. The circular walls were covered in sparkling curtains that Amanda was certain were made of rubies turned into cloth. A large bed, circular to fit against the wall, had its own curtains around it much like the ones around the walls, though these were a deep blue and sparkled like sapphire, was across the room, and an elegant marble fireplace was on the opposite side of the room from the bed. Their small table was in the center.

Harry waved his hand and a roaring fire appeared in the fireplace. Amanda had finally managed to close her mouth, but her jaw dropped again when Harry turned back to her. He snapped his fingers and an intricate oriental vase full of the most beautiful red roses she had ever seen had appeared on the table.

"Aphrodite's Roses," Harry said as she reached out to touch one. "Ever-blooming, so you don't have to worry about them dying, and if you plant them they'll grow, even though they've been cut."

"Oh, Harry…"

Harry turned and mumbled something. The curtains covering the wall behind the bed opened to reveal the Hogwarts grounds and the lake. Amanda's awe increased tenfold as a unicorn left the woods and drank from the lake before returning to the safety of the trees.

"Harry… h-how did you find this place? It's… it's…"

"I know." Harry said, smiling. Harry took his seat across from her and tapped the table with his wand. Dobby appeared, dressed in a small tuxedo.

"Dobby is most pleased to serve Mr. Harry Potter and his lovely miss. What may Dobby bring you?" the elf asked in a quiet voice, quite unlike his normal exuberant self. Harry and Amanda placed their orders. Their food appeared on the table immediately.

After enjoying their dinner, Harry waved his wand and music filled the room. Walking to her, he extended his hand and asked for a dance. Only fifteen minutes into their dancing, Amanda lifted her head from Harry's shoulder and whispered in his ear "We're staying here tonight, husband."

They were running for their lives. Something knew… it had to know, why else would they be running? Through the castle, down a long spiraling staircase… Someone's voice, her own or his… maybe both, nothing was certain anymore.

_Harry fiercely kissed her lips, then her stomach before leaving in a burst of flames. The room sealed itself as Harry appeared on the other side of the see-through wall. Death Eaters and members of the Order battled furiously in the darkness. _

_Glowing red eyes… yellow liquid… panicked screams… blood, lots of blood… bodies everywhere… She wanted to help, to fight, but she knew she couldn't. That wasn't an option for her. Damn Harry! It's all his fault! _

Amanda bolted upright in bed and glanced down at Harry sleeping beside her. "What was that all about?" she asked the silent room. The sun was attempting to peek out on the land from behind a cloud. Sleep would not be possible at this point. Imitating Harry's action from the previous night, she tapped her wand on the table and ordered something to eat while she pondered her dream.

A/N: wow… I'm getting lazy. Though I can probably claim HBP as a good excuse for the time between updates. That book has replaced PoA as my favorite. Too bad my cousin borrowed my copy… if I don't get it back soon, I'll hurt him.

A question that one of my idiot friends asked me was… well, his colorful vocabulary might be a bit much for some people... it's just not proper to type… (Wow, I'm a hypocrite… I'm no better… at least I keep words like we normally use out of my fic…) anyway, he asked about their relationship in the bedroom. I honestly didn't care up until now… now they have slept together. Sorry if that bothers anyone, but it fits with the sequel and will probably be important in this fic too. As you can see, I didn't describe anything, so it shouldn't be bad or offensive. They are technically married, you know.

Besides, Ron and Hermione shag on a regular basis… which will be important too, I think.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: The Prophecy

A/N: This chapter is going to bounce around a lot at first… I'll probably confuse myself. Enjoy

February faded into March and March turned into April, and with the rapidly approaching N.E.W.T.s, Hermione had everyone on a tight study schedule. With all the revision, homework, Quidditch practice, and Harry's extra lessons with Dumbledore, he and Amanda rarely had time to spend together.

One weekend morning found the seventh year Gryffindors, with the exception of Amanda, who hadn't been feeling well and went to the hospital wing, studying. All was well until Harry's scar exploded in pain. Voldemort was furious for some reason and Harry couldn't use his Occlumency through the pain. Harry collapsed, bashing his head on the table. Ron and Seamus managed to carry him from the common room to the Hospital wing while Hermione ran to get Professor Dumbledore.

What she saw in his office made her faint.

"Th-thanks, Madam Pomfrey." Amanda opened the door to leave the hospital wing. Ron and Seamus were carrying Harry toward her as fast as they could.

"What happened?" she asked, alarmed. Madam Pomfrey came to see what the commotion was and instructed Ron and Seamus to put Harry in his bed (identified by a plaque bearing the words Potter's Place).

Hermione, looking extremely pale, entered with the headmaster in time to hear Ron describe what happened to Harry.

Voldemort was outraged. Any Death Eater that got in his way was in a lifeless heap on the floor a second later. Wormtail hadn't been seen all day and it had been reported that he and the captive girls had escaped. The Dark Lord was storming through his hideout as fast as his serpentine body would allow. Wormtail would be dead within a day if the rumors were true.

"Welcome back, Mr. Potter. Poppy, might I borrow your favorite patient? I need to speak with him in my office." Dumbledore asked, receiving a glare from the matron.

"There's nothing wrong with you now, Mr. Potter, just don't make this a habit. We can't have you fainting from pain in your scar all the time, can we?" Madam Pomfrey released him into Dumbledore's care.

Walking back to the headmaster's office, Harry was filled in on the most likely reason Voldemort was enraged enough to cause that much pain. Peter Pettigrew was currently in Dumbledore's office seeking refuge until the end of the war. Cho Chang, Angelina Johnson, and Katie Bell were residing in guest rooms, much like Peter would be after his talk with the headmaster.

As soon as Harry entered the office he seized Wormtail by the neck and lifted him from the floor. Dumbledore, Amanda, Ron, and Hermione all demanded him to stop. Ron simply wanted to kill the despicable rat himself. Ron had never gotten over the betrayal he felt when he learned that his pet rat had in fact been a wizard who was responsible for his best friend's parent's murders.

Harry threw Pettigrew to the floor and stepped backward. "Why are you here, Wormtail? Don't bother lying, your pal Voldemort isn't the only one who can tell…"

Pettigrew stood up, fear evident on his face, and looked Harry in the eye. "You'll kill him, won't you?" his eyes pleaded for Harry to confirm his hopes.

"Why are you here, Wormtail?" Harry repeated threateningly.

"I've switched sides. I just can't do it anymore. The killing… the torture… it's all too much. I-I can't…" Wormtail broke down in tears. "Those girls… they… they know…"

"Mr. Pettigrew refers to Ms. Chang, Ms. Bell, and Ms. Johnson. They are currently in guest rooms. The Weasley twins have been informed of their arrival, as well as Ms. Chang's boyfriend. The three gentlemen are on their way." Dumbledore said, responding to the blank looks on everyone's faces.

"Mr. Pettigrew risked his own life to return the ladies to safety. He has been their caregiver for months and has let no harm come to them, other than the emotional anguish of being held captive. He has been a lifeline of sorts for them."

Harry scoffed in disbelief, even though he was using Legilimency on Wormtail and could see that it was true.

"When… when you kill him… I'll turn myself over to the Ministry. Until then I just… I just want to stay here…" Wormtail dissolved into tears again.

Dumbledore looked at Harry and allowed Harry to read his thoughts. _If he leaves, he'll be killed._

_No more than what he deserves… he killed my parents!_

_He is trying to make amends. Nothing can change what he has done, but if we throw him to the wolves, he'll never have a chance to do any good._

Harry audibly sighed. _I know… but I don't have to like it…_

"Mr. Pettigrew, Mr. Potter will lead you to the guest rooms. You will be in the fourth door on the right. The password is…"

"Fanged Frisbee." Peter supplied. Dumbledore raised an eyebrow at him. "Err… James, Sirius, Remus, and I often… took… our dates there. We each had our own rooms. Remus was two, I was four, James was six, and Sirius was eight."

Harry and Amanda laughed, though Amanda looked nervous about something. No one noticed, however, because everyone was looking at Harry. "What? Six is a magnificent room, my father had excellent taste." Harry said, laughing again. His voice changed, filled with venom. "Come on, rat."

Wormtail followed Harry to the guest room in silence, afraid of the waves of fury radiating from Harry.

Harry refused to leave the common room that evening when everyone else went to eat. Amanda said she'd send Dobby up with some food if he wanted, but he refused. He simply sat there in front of the fire with a box of photos that Remus had found at Grimmauld Place the previous year. They were all photos of his parents, Sirius, Remus, and Peter while they were at school. Probably seventh years, judging from the fact that his mum and dad were obviously in love. Seventh year was when they got together, according to Sirius and Remus.

Peter was obviously only there because his friends were powerful. James and Sirius were the best at whatever they did, according to everyone but Snape, and Remus was just as powerful, just not a show off. Lily was exceptional at anything that could be used to help someone, especially medicinal charms and potions. Peter was just… weak… Why couldn't anyone else see that? How could the Sorting Hat place him in Gryffindor?

_It took bravery to defy the Dark Lord and rescue Katie, Angelina, and Cho… It took bravery to come here… It took bravery for him to talk to you, Potter… You would have strangled him to death if it hadn't been for everyone else…_

Harry got up and left the common room, perhaps he was hungry after all.

Along the way to the Great Hall, Harry stumbled across Sybil Trelawney, accidentally knocking her down because he wasn't paying attention to where he was going. "Oh, I'm sorry Professor. I didn't mean to… are you ok?" she looked like she hadn't slept in a week

"Hmm? What? Oh, hello Mr. Potter. I see you're still among the living." She reeked of cooking sherry. "Would you mind escorting an incompetent old bat to the Great Hall?"

"Of course, Professor. I was heading that way myself."

They walked in silence most of the way, but after a while she looked over at Harry. "I miss you in classes, Potter. You had a promising aura about you, and I heard about your visions of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named… Your Inner Eye just needs to be developed."

Harry made a non-committal noise in his throat, "I didn't pass my O.W.L. though."

"Those examiners don't possess the Eye. They are unfit to test on Divination! And that mule that tried to take my job away!" she began mumbling unintelligibly.

Harry and Professor Trelawney reached the Great Hall. Harry moved to the Gryffindor table and Professor Trelawney sought an empty chair at the Staff table. Unfortunately for Professor McGonagall, that chair happened to be beside her.

The meal wasn't as good as it usually was, but Harry suspected that was because he had too much on his mind. As the plates cleared and everyone stood to leave, a booming voice echoed throughout the Hall.

THE EGGS WILL SOON HATCH... A NEW WAR WILL BE WAGED... FOUR EMERALDS WILL GLOW IN THE DARKNESS OF THE SNAKE'S LAIR AND WHEN ALL HOPE IS LOST, A LIGHT WILL SHINE FROM THE SHADOWS. ONE EGG WILL BE DESTROYED. PREPARE…

Harry looked up and saw Professor Trelawney sink back into her chair. _Oh, Merlin… Another one…_

Dumbledore stood up and called for silence. Harry knew he would have to meet Dumbledore in his office. Every time Trelawney made a prophecy it was about Voldemort or himself, after all. He nodded at the headmaster and left the Great Hall, Amanda close behind.

"Harry… that was another prophecy about you, wasn't it?" Amanda asked with fear in her voice.

"Probably, she seems to be mine and Voldemort's private Seer." Harry answered; his hatred of being a pawn in whatever cosmic chess game was being played was obvious.

After fifteen minutes of waiting, Dumbledore entered his office and found them sitting across from his chair. He seated himself and sighed wearily. "I do not believe this prophecy concerns you, though there seems to be a reference to Voldemort. The bit about the Snake's lair and eggs, at least." Dumbledore looked as if he had aged fifty years in the time it took him to speak, which was shocking considering he was over one hundred and fifty.

"Do you have any idea what it could be about?" Harry asked, visibly tensing.

"No, unfortunately. This prophecy is most perplexing. I suggest you forget about it. As in most cases, it seems that this prophecy will only make sense when the event it describes has come to pass." Dumbledore rubbed his temples in an uncharacteristic sign of weariness.

"Mr. Potter, if I begin to think of any connection you may have to this prophecy, I'll inform you at once."

"Yes, sir." Harry said, standing up.

"Oh, and Harry…" Harry turned to face the headmaster, "Try to find some way to get along with Pettigrew. He may be a big help to us. You felt the regret he feels for everything he's done, I trust?"

"Yes, but I still don't feel like I can forgive him. That will take a long, long time… If it is even possible… The fact remains that he killed my parents."

Harry and Amanda left the room and made their way back to Gryffindor Tower. He needed sleep. He needed to talk to his parents and Sirius.

_Harry looked around and saw his body lying in his bed. Like a ghost, he was floating above it, though unlike a ghost, he was doing so with wings. Opening the curtains and leaving the bed, he found himself face to face with his parents, Ginny, Sirius, and the baby he knew to be his sister._

"_Mum! Dad! Sirius!" He shouted, hugging each of them in turn. _

"_What? No hugs for your dear sisters?" Ginny asked, opening her arms and laughing. Harry hugged her as well._

"_Hullo Karen." He said, plucking the baby from Ginny's arms. "How did I get here? I'm… I'm not dead, am I?" _

"_No, Harry, you called us. When you sleep you are closer to our world, and apparently you can bring yourself here." Lily ran her arms along her son's wings, "See, you're mostly phoenix. Well, I don't suppose you _can_ see. Your hair has been replaced by feathers and you've got wings… probably more too, you probably have talons or something."_

"_We know why you're here, son. Wormtail may not deserve forgiveness, but he deserves a chance to try to redeeming himself." James sighed deeply. "Padfoot doesn't agree with us. Then again, if I had spent twelve years in Azkaban because of Wormtail, I wouldn't agree either."_

"_That's right! You would have still been alive if that rat hadn't turned on us! Harry would have his family, and knowing you two that would mean more than one sibling! Merlin, Harry! They would put the Weasleys to shame!"_

"_AH! Sirius! Don't tell me that!" Harry said, shaking his head. He couldn't cover his ears with Karen in his arms. Looking down at the baby girl he sighed, "They're trying to traumatize us, kid!"_

_Lily smiled and took her daughter. "It'll be fifty years or so in your world before this one is old enough to be traumatized by anything these two say."_

"_Oh, mum! Trelawney made another prophecy… could it be possible…" he looked at his sister._

"_No, dear, I don't think so. In most cases babies that are born here are here for two or three hundred years in your world."_

"_Good, I don't want her to be taken from you like you were from me…"_

"_Oi, Harry, back to why you called us!" Ginny shouted. "I think Wormtail deserves a second chance, even though the slimy rat _did_ come into my bedroom and lay on my pillow while I was sleeping…" Ginny shuddered. "Hit him for that, will you?"_

_Harry smiled. "Right. I'll give him a chance, but if he blows this one…"_

"_Make sure the rat turns himself in, then… If you don't… everyone gets here sometime, Harry…" Sirius smiled and clapped him on the back. _

"_You have to go now, Harry. It's almost time for breakfast. If you don't wake up soon they'll have you in your other bed in the hospital wing." James said with twinkling eyes. _

"_Right, right, I'm going." Harry said. He hugged everyone and bid them farewell before forcing himself to wake up._

Amanda sat alone in the Great Hall. She had come down for an early breakfast but couldn't manage to eat anything but toast. She felt sick again and tried to think of a way to settle her stomach. Eating toast or crackers had always helped before, so that was the first thing she thought of.

She looked up when she saw Hermione standing beside her. "Hi, Hermione. You're up early."

"So are you. Listen… I… I think I have a problem. Can I count on you to keep a secret?" Hermione looked panicked so Amanda immediately assured her that her secret was safe. Hermione leaned over and whispered something in her ear, causing her eyes to grow as big as saucers.

"_Really_? Isn't _that_ interesting…"

"Oh, you won't tell anyone, will you?" Hermione pleaded, her eyes full of fear and anxiety.

"If you'll keep my secret, I'll keep yours." Amanda said and pulled her friend close to whisper a secret of her own.

"Oi, Ron, get up! Breakfast!" Ron sat up quickly and pulled on his robes. Harry laughed and clamped his hand down on Ron's shoulder. "Want to join me for breakfast? I have a rat to visit…"

"Wha? Why d'you want to visit _him_?" Ron's voice would have poisoned anyone but Harry when he spoke the last word.

"Mum, Dad, Sirius, and Ginny said I should. Are you going to argue with them?" Harry said, raising an eyebrow.

The two of them made their way through the castle and down to the place Harry had taken Amanda two months prior, stopping at Wormtail's door this time. Harry knocked, loudly, three times. Katie, Angelina, and Cho opened their doors on the other side of the corridor and looked out, but Wormtail didn't respond.

"Open up, Wormtail, or I'm breaking it down." Harry called through the door; the resentment he felt was evident in his voice.

Wormtail was shaking as the door opened. "H-Harry… nice to see you… to what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Padfoot and Prongs sent me to say hello…" Wormtail's eyes suddenly looked as if they would pop out if something hit him in the head.

"C-c-come in, come in…" he stuttered as he ushered them inside.

"Why so nervous, rat?" Ron asked as Wormtail closed the door. "One would think that you're hiding something."

Wormtail looked at the two of them for a moment. "How would you like being in a room with two people who expressed their desire to see you dead?" He said sadly.

Harry sighed, "I know how it feels to be in a room with a dozen people who want to kill me, a graveyard full of people who want to kill me, and I know how it feels to be the number one target on that red-eyed git's hit list. He conjured three chairs for them and sat down, peering over his fingers at Wormtail as he did so. "Why?"

Amanda and Hermione made their way back to the common room, arriving a short time after Harry and Ron had left, which thoroughly confused them, because they couldn't find the boys anywhere. They hadn't been in the Great Hall or on their way there and the girls were at a loss as to where to look. Hermione had rummaged through Harry's trunk, but she couldn't find the Marauder's Map. The invisibility cloak was there, so it wasn't likely that they had snuck into Hogsmeade.

"Maybe they went to the Room of Requirement." Hermione suggested after exhausting their other ideas.

The journey was faster than usual, perhaps because the ladies were so determined to find their male counterparts, or perhaps it was the conversation they were having in hushed tones, neither could be certain, but their disappointment, confusion, and rising irritation when they couldn't find them in the room made the walk back to the common room longer than ever.

Harry and Ron were waiting in the common room when they returned. Both looked stressed. Harry was rubbing his temples and sighed deeply at frequent intervals. "Not now…" Hermione hissed at Amanda, receiving a fervent nod in reply.

"What's wrong?" both asked as they sat down beside their men.

"Wormtail… told us everything… Why he turned on Harry's parents, why he's done everything since then…" Ron gulped loudly, "He was responsible for Ginny before they killed her. He watched over her and kept her safe until then. That's one reason he turned back to our side. He watched out for her all her life, until he ran back in our third year."

"Why did you go see him? Harry, you didn't try to hurt him again, did you? Amanda demanded.

"No, nothing like that… I wanted to though. I talked to mum and dad last night. They told me to give him another chance. If they can forgive him, I suppose I can try." Harry sighed again, "It'll take a long time, but I'll try."

A week later, Hermione burst through the portrait hole and headed for Amanda. Harry was helping Ron make up his Divination homework, so Amanda forced them to leave her table. She couldn't get any work done with them laughing about Ron's predictions. When Hermione tapped her on the shoulder, she nearly jumped out of her seat. The older girl pointed to the staircase with her head and began to walk toward it.

In their dorm, Amanda comforted a crying Hermione. Her words were broken by sobs and hard to understand, but Amanda knew exactly what she was saying.

Harry looked up when Hermione and Amanda left for the staircase. Her thoughts were turbulent and Harry couldn't help but know everything on her mind no matter how much he tried to block it out. Ron looked up when Harry's breath came out as a gasp. His face was contorted into a look of horror, shock, confusion, and fear all rolled into one. Ron followed as Harry shot from his chair like a bullet and ran to his own dorm.

"Oi, what's going on, mate? You're acting strange." Ron asked as Harry jumped into his bed and closed the curtains.

"I'll be back in a second, I just had to make sure no one saw me Apparate like this." Ron saw a flash of flames and knew Harry was gone.

"Killing him won't help, 'Mione…" Amanda's voice said as Harry appeared in his usual fashion.

"Hermione, are you-"

"You know, don't you Harry? I knew you would find out. Snape and Dumbledore can probably tell what I'm thinking…"

"Yeah, I know," Harry's voice was quiet and sounded slightly sad, "But you don't have anything to worry about."

"How can you say that? I don't… I can't…" she collapsed on her bed, tears flowing like a river.

Amanda drew Harry's attention and took hold of his hands. "She's not the only one, Harry. I'm pregnant too."


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter 12: The Dark Mark

A/N: Hullo, my name is Amanda, the namesake for the Amanda in the story, and I've been asked to write a chapter for some reason. I think it may be because the original chapter 12 was mostly a lecture from Molly Weasley about Amanda and Hermione getting knocked up. I'm still mad about that… I don't think they should be shagging at school. Our dear author had to put that in there because _he's_ done that before. Anyway, on with the story, I hope you like it! Oh, and the prophecy from the last chapter was mine too. Ungrateful prat didn't give me any credit…

"She's not the only one, Harry. I'm pregnant too." Those words had both pleased Harry immensely and increased his fear exponentially. Finally, Harry would have a family of his own. The Weasleys were family, but he had always felt like an outsider. The Lupins were family, but they felt more like the aunt and uncle he wished the Dursleys would have been. And the Dursleys… they might have been his actual relatives but he would have been just as happy if he never saw them or heard from them again.

A lot had happened to Harry since he had first heard those words; one of his worst fears had been realized when Molly Weasley and Nymphadora Lupin had arrived at the school, making their way across the Great Hall at dinner time one evening, an event that was followed soon by a trip to the place Harry and Amanda had been taken when they received their phoenix powers and a ban from all Hogsmeade trips. Harry knew that the walls of Hogwarts had ears and if Molly had been allowed to speak her mind in the castle then everyone in Hogwarts and Hogsmeade would know about the pregnancies by the following morning, and the press would know by the same evening. Harry had stopped Mrs. Weasley and Dora, escorting them back out of the Great Hall and up to Gryffindor Tower, where Amanda, Ron, and Hermione soon joined them. Since everyone was eating in the Great Hall, Harry flame Apparated everyone back to the place where his body once lay as dead, covered in burns.

All in all, the lecture they received was mild. They were, after all, consenting adults. Molly worried mostly about the financial problems that Ron and Hermione would face once the baby was born and what would happen to Amanda if Harry died. Harry could tell that Molly had been thinking about the prophecy ever since she heard it when she mentioned his possible death. Dora seemed to be there simply to give Molly support, as she didn't speak unless she was responding to Molly. In the end, both women told the girls that if they needed anything, they only needed to send an owl.

Other than the Hogsmeade ban and the sermon Molly had delivered, there wasn't much to talk about. Ravenclaw had trounced Slytherin in Quidditch, Hufflepuff had beaten Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor had easily toppled Hufflepuff's lead in the Quidditch cup points standings when the lions humiliated the badgers 320 to 30. Classes were harder than ever with N.E.W.T.s little more than a month away, and no seventh year had any time alone to think, which strained many of the relationships between seventh years and younger students. For Harry, Amanda, Ron, and Hermione, however, the reverse was true. It was true that they had little time to spend as two separate couples, or even as four friends, but with each of them in the same boat it was understandable. On top of studying, Harry had offered to help younger students prepare for their Defense exams, thereby gaining a bit more practical study time, rather than simply reading and memorizing spells and wand movements. Amanda had seen the wisdom in this and offered the same for potions. Hermione and Ron soon joined, Ron taking Charms and Hermione covering Transfiguration. As the N.E.W.T.s were testing their cumulative magical knowledge, this helped greatly when they were asked for help on spells, or in Amanda's case potions, they hadn't used since second or third year.

With the exams fast approaching, the staff agreed that the students deserved one final Hogsmeade weekend as a distraction, especially the overworked fifth and seventh years. Harry and Ron hatched plans of their own for romantic outings with the women carrying their children whilst the rest of the school was in Hogsmeade. The first and second years surely wouldn't bother them where they were going to be.

The morning of the Hogsmeade trip dawned pleasantly cool and bright. Harry and Ron woke before the sun had fully appeared above the horizon, something that was extremely rare for either of them unless there was a Quidditch match, and only then if they were playing in the match.

As the sun rose higher and more students awoke no one noticed the pair of young men sneaking about under an invisibility cloak. It wasn't against the rules to be in the halls at dawn on the weekend, but it was highly suspicious, and the place they were going _was_ off limits. As they reached their goal, Harry reached out and tickled the pear in the portrait of a bowl of fruit and stepped back as the said portrait opened to allow them inside.

The invisibility cloak was left on a chair as Harry and Ron sought help from the house elves. A high-pitched voice squealed Harry's name before he was knocked to the floor. Looking up, Harry saw Dobby sitting on his chest.

Amanda yawned as she woke, involuntarily stretching as she did so. Concentrating on Harry she learned that he was awake and slowly returning to Gryffindor Tower. _Now where has _he_ been this morning?_ She asked herself as she got out of bed and dressed. Amanda had discovered that if she concentrated hard enough she could get a mental picture of where Harry was and what he was doing. He, of course, was oblivious to her newfound ability.

Hermione was already awake, judging by the retching sounds coming from the bathroom connected to their dorm. _At least _my_ morning sickness has mostly stopped…_She walked in to check on Hermione, taking a potion with her. Madam Pomfrey had given the girls a series of potions to lessen the obvious symptoms of pregnancy: mood swings, morning sickness, fatigue, and the like. There was even a series of potions to give them the extra nutrition they would need. Checking the label, Amanda waltzed in and patted Hermione's back. The elder girl had often done the same for her when she was bowing to the porcelain goddess; it was only fair to return the favor.

"Come on, 'Mione, take this potion, it'll make you feel better." Hermione straightened up and forced the potion down her throat.

Hermione moved to the sink to brush her teeth. "I'm going to kill him, Mandy. I swear it." Hermione said, shuddering as she dissolved into tears. Amanda handed her another potion. "What's this?"

"For mood swings, and trust me, you need it lady."

Amanda's cheerfulness was infuriating to Hermione. _How dare that blonde bimbo act that way? She had no idea what…_ Hermione's tears doubled. _First I'm plotting the murder of my baby's father, now I'm accusing a pregnant woman of not knowing how a pregnant woman feels?_ She took the potion and gulped it down. _Only two months in and I already want this kid out of me!_

The girls soon made their way downstairs after their roommates had began to stir. If there was one thing they didn't need it was the Gossip Queens of Gryffindor to hear them talking about morning sickness and mood swings.

Harry and Ron were playing a game of chess, trying to tune out the younger students who felt the need to make noise at that early hour. The ladies joined them to watch the end of the match. Harry, as always, seemed as though he had been thrown into the ocean wearing full body armor and petrified. Amanda sighed and decided the time was ripe to intervene; whispering instructions into Harry's ear the game was brought to an inconclusive stalemate.

"Bloody hell! Why didn't you tell me you could play?" Ron demanded, staring at her in awe.

"And ruin your track record? You've only lost to Dumbledore and your dad, right? I think that's what Harry told me. I'm afraid that you'd be humiliated if I played you."

Ron looked as though he had been slapped. "Would you care to test that theory? To make things interesting, how about a bet? Fifteen Galleons sound ok?"

Amanda smirked, "Money on the table, Weasley." She placed her wager on the chessboard. Ron followed suit.

"Right, I'll take that." Harry said, taking the money and placing it in a small bag he conjured. He placed the bag on the edge of the table and waited for Ron to make the first move.

Twenty minutes later, Ron was down to a knight, three pawns, and a rook. Amanda still had bishops, a knight, a rook, and four pawns. Ron was in shock. No one had ever done this well against him before, not even Dumbledore. Amanda had first had him in check after only eight moves and he had gone downhill from there.

Five more minutes proved to be Ron's downfall. Amanda had lost a bishop and two pawns, but reclaimed her queen while Ron had lost all but one pawn. Amanda had promised humiliation and delivered. Before checkmate could be called, Amanda had surrounded his king, when her final piece had been moved there was no escape at all.

Amanda sat back and laughed at his horror-struck face. "I'm afraid you owe that defeat to my dear friend Marie. She taught me how to play muggle chess. Her father is a regional tournament champion in the States."

Ron's mouth opened and closed, making nearly inaudible popping sounds, looking like a fish. Amanda laughed again and reached for the bag of Galleons. "Here," she said, tossing the bag to him, "the look on your face is enough payment." The bag of coins landed in his lap with a clink.

Around lunchtime, Harry and Ron disappeared, claiming they needed to get something from the kitchens. Before long, they returned, each holding a picnic basket. Ron summoned his broomstick and asked Hermione if she fancied a trip to the castle's roof. Harry simply asked for a walk around the lake, brandishing his picnic basket at her.

As they reached the lakeshore, Harry stopped and cast a spell on himself. Pointing his wand at his wife, he mumbled the same incantation he used on himself, linked his arm with hers, and walked directly toward the water. Amanda gasped, startled by the fact that she was walking across the water's surface instead of sinking into the lake's depths. Harry led her to a small area on the opposite shore where they could have their picnic.

After eating the food provided by the house elves, Harry stood and offered her his hand. "What's going on?" she asked as he pulled her to her feet. Harry smiled and led her out onto the lake.

"May I have this dance?" he asked, waving his wand, causing music to start playing.

The couple waltzed around the lake surface, drawing the attention of some younger students. For a little while they forgot about the war going on in the wizarding world and concentrated on themselves. For a little while, they were all that existed in the world.

When their D.A. Galleons began to burn, they quickly broke apart, however, and thus ruined their moment. The date on the Galleons was flashing, the time changing to mirror the current time. Ron and Hermione flew down to join them, hovering on Ron's broom over the lake. Their Galleons were doing the same thing, and each of them was as puzzled as the others about it. Since only the four of them, Neville, and Luna could change the date on the coins, they knew something must be happening in Hogsmeade.

Their fears and assumptions were proven correct when screaming students rushed onto the grounds. The problem with this was that Death Eaters were close behind them. Without thinking, Harry placed one hand over Ron and Hermione's clasped hands and his other on Amanda. The four of them, plus Ron's broom, disappeared in a flash of fire and reappeared in the corridor leading to the guest rooms. After giving the password to the room he and Amanda used, Harry begged the girls to stay there.

"And why should we?" Amanda demanded, wanting to fight just as much as Harry. Harry reached out and placed a hand on her abdomen.

"It would only take one spell for the two of you to lose the babies. The Death Eaters wouldn't mess around with jelly-legs jinxes and the like, they wouldn't think twice about killing you for the simple fact that you're out there."

Hermione and Amanda both placed their hands protectively on their bellies, as though the act would keep their babies safe no matter what. After Harry's speech, they willingly agreed to remain safe in the castle.

Harry placed his hand on Ron's shoulder and after a nod from the redhead they disappeared the same way they came in.

The Dark Mark could be seen hovering over Hogsmeade as they appeared outside the castle, the emerald snake twisting out of the skull as if it were a grotesque tongue. The ever-growing number of Death Eaters shot curses at the panicking students. Those who fought back, Harry noticed with a touch of pride, were mostly D.A. members, and they were holding their own against their masked enemies. Looking out across the battlefield, Harry saw familiar faces from the Order fighting alongside the students and teachers. Aurors portkeyed in a dozen at a time, leaving the large items they used for their travel laying on the grounds. Harry felt a twinge in his scar as he spotted a pair of glowing red eyes from the forbidden forest. Tom.

Harry and Ron started their march into the fray only to be stopped by Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle. Malfoy tossed about his usual insults and claimed the Dark Lord's rule would begin in mere hours before Harry twitched his wand. Ron burst into laughter despite the gravity of the situation as a blonde ferret scurried around on the grass at Crabbe's feet. The two brainless oafs tried to catch their "friend", accidentally knocking themselves unconscious as their heads collided with a sickening _CRACK_. Harry and Ron walked into the battle with huge grins on their faces.

Death Eaters volleyed curses with students, staff, Order members, and Aurors. Harry remained focused on one target and one target only. Voldemort went unnoticed by mostly everyone. After dispatching three Death Eaters, Harry looked back to the Dark Lord's position and saw Dumbledore dueling with him. During their lessons throughout the year, Harry had noticed that the headmaster's age was finally catching up with him. Seeing Dumbledore's slowed reactions and weakened spells filled Harry with the fear that the one person he always thought would be around, the seemingly invincible headmaster of Hogwarts, the man who most people held as the most powerful wizard of modern times, Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore wouldn't be around much longer.

Another handful of Death Eaters fell before Harry as he continued his trek to the Dark Lord. The Flame on his chest began to radiate heat as he neared his goal. Walking past them, Harry saw the Lupins fighting back to back, trying their best to take out as many Death Eaters as they could. Harry waved his hand and a flaming orb appeared around them. Their spells penetrated their bubble of fire, but no spells could get to them. Dora waved at Harry as he continued on, deflecting curses as he walked.

Ron had run to Neville and Luna to help them and the other D.A. members. Harry had told him he was going after Voldemort and gave him express orders not to follow or he would be petrified and left on the battlefield. Ron and the D.A. were soon joined by the rest of the Weasley clan, minus Charlie, who was on his way with four dragons and his Dragon Keeper friends. They had been placed on an encampment nearby, waiting on the order to take action when Dumbledore called.

Ron glanced at Dumbledore and Voldemort's ferocious fight, a look of confusion crossing his face as Voldemort snapped his fingers. The confusion gave way to horror as Dementors appeared on the grounds. Dozens of Patroni erupted from wands all across the school grounds, their silvery glow shooting out in every direction. Ron noticed Harry's stag galloping around, goring Dementors left and right with its horns.

A rush of magical energy alongside the forest captured everyone's attention. The Death Eaters cheered triumphantly as Dumbledore's lifeless body hit the ground, as though they had already won the war with that death alone. Harry was the only one who continued moving, though his pace didn't increase. Ron could see sparks erupting around his best friend from Harry's obvious efforts to control his anger. The battle continued when Charlie and his friends swooped down on dragonback, hurling curses at the Death Eaters and Patronus charms at the Dementors from their perches. The fourth dragon to touch down landed by the castle and shot a long stream of fire at a group of Dementors that were moving towards a group of trapped second year students. The students ran as far away as they could, closely chased by the same group of Dementors. As soon as the children passed, the dragon whipped his tail around taking out part of the castle as it collided with the Dementors.

Harry finally stopped as he heard the castle wall begin to collapse. Turning around, he saw the base of the tower where the guest rooms were located falling to the ground. Harry's anger finally got the better of him as the dust settled. It wasn't possible it just wasn't possible… Amanda and Hermione… dead? Wormtail, Angelina, Katie, and Cho were all in their guest rooms. There was no way they could have survived the tower collapsing on them. Harry was blinded by rage as flames erupted all around him. A dozen phoenixes had joined him, responding to the call he didn't know he had made. As they all began singing, Harry collapsed to the ground. His vision, which had turned red a moment before the phoenixes arrived, turned black and he knew no more but the release of the darkness.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter 13: A New Age Begins

A/N: Amanda here again, this is gonna get weird. I'm going to rush the ending a bit, so only the epilogue is left after this.

_**Calm down, fledgling, you'll do your mate no good by dying.**_

_But… she can't be alive… it's not possible._

She has been given some of our magic, correct? Pray that she had the gift of foresight bestowed upon her. Call to your egg, should they be among the living, you will sense them.

Should your mate and your egg have perished, your death would not avenge them so calm yourself.

Harry concentrated on the developing fetus inside of Amanda, unsure of what else to do. A spark of life could be found. He knew they were alive. They are all right. Let me go, I have to fight. Voldemort must be stopped!

This is why we do not grant this power to your kind. Humans are far too excitable, extremely irritable, and blind themselves with their fears and anger.

_I need to get up… I need to fight. Why is everything dark? Why can't I move?_

_**You are ready for your wings, summoning us proves that. This is why you cannot move.**_

_Wh-what? Wings?_

Wake up, young one.

Harry's body shot into the air, surrounded by seven phoenixes. The battles stopped again as a cocoon of fire appeared around him. The seven phoenixes flew into the blazing cocoon, exiting the other side as a shower of ashes and seven phoenix chicks, which were deftly caught by the remaining five phoenixes. The flames subsided and Harry was standing in the air, red and gold wings had sprouted from his back and tail feathers had erupted from his backside. The gathered witches and wizards failed to hide their shock and surprise, if they even tried to hide it at all.

Harry slowly fell to the ground, everyone stepping back to give him room to land. Looking around, he saw the Death Eaters eyes were filled with fear, and if he had looked for it, he would have seen the same looks on the faces of his friends and teachers. Harry continued his walk toward Voldemort, leaving the parted crowd to their own devices. Voldemort's terrible voice disrupted the silence. "Kill him you fools!"

One solitary Death Eater stepped in Harry's path, his wand pointed directly at the lightning bolt scar on Harry's forehead. When five of the six syllables that make up _Avada Kedavra_ were pronounced, Harry leapt into the air, hovering as the curse soared past his previous position, striking a ferret scurrying along the ground. The newly fallen victim of the killing curse shot into the air, flew backward a few feet, and hit the ground with a dull thud. Whilst in the air, the ferret mutated. Draco Malfoy lay on the ground dead. The murderer dropped to his knees, removing his mask in the process, vomiting violently. When he looked back at the form of his son, Lucius Malfoy looked distraught, as though the life of his son actually mattered to him. Harry supposed that being the cause of the destruction of his own bloodline was enough to make anyone who cared about the purity of blood as sick as it had made Malfoy, but as he didn't know anyone who cared well enough to be sure, he couldn't be certain. Malfoy senior's face contorted in rage as he took aim at Harry and cast the killing curse once more.

Being airborne, Harry had ample room to dodge the curse. It wasn't until many more joined Lucius in his attempt that Harry began to have trouble. Seeing Harry move around in the air, dodging killing curses, stunners, bludgeoning spells, and innumerable other spells, hexes, jinxes, and curses seemed to shake the school's defenses out of their stupor. It was the D.A. that first began firing indiscriminately at the Death Eaters, the first curse coming from Neville Longbottom. The Order followed their example.

A lapse in the spells aimed at him allowed Harry to touch down in front of Voldemort. Phoenix and Serpent stood staring at one another, each sizing the other up. Voldemort's face broke into a serpentine smile. "It seems as though I am not the only one who has undergone transformations in a quest for power. How very much alike we are, Harry. I take it that your newfound ability to block me completely from me from your mind to be a result of one of these transformations?" Harry said nothing. "Have it your way, but had you answered my questions, you would have lived longer.

"_Nagini!" _Voldemort hissed in Parseltongue. The snake slithered down the trunk of a tree and wrapped itself around his body. A loud hiss of pain escaped his lips and Nagini was gone. Voldemort's tongue, which was previously as human as Harry's, flicked out and tasted the air. Harry noticed at once that it had become as forked as any snakes and a sickening smile revealed two glistening fangs.

"_You see, Harry, Nagini has always been a part of me. I used her in my first transformations, I used her venom and unicorn blood to regain strength, and since so much of her flows through my veins, much like your blood does, I can absorb her into my body and complete the transformation I first underwent._" Voldemort explained in Parseltongue, inwardly smirking at Harry's shocked face. Before Harry could even register this new situation, he felt himself hitting the ground, his chest aching from the knockback jinx that came from nowhere.

"_Stand up, boy. Face me like your father did, like your mother tried, like Dumbledore. You are a man now, Harry, fight like one! All of your protectors have gone, they've all left you. You are alone in the world, Harry. Your parents were the first, your father told your mother to run. He actually fought. Your filthy mudblood mother didn't even raise her wand at me. She held your infant body tightly against her and turned her back on me. _

"_Then your dog," _Voldemort smiled evilly, his fangs glistening with a sickening yellow liquid. ("Most likely venom," thought Harry)_ "I'm terribly sorry, your godfather died because you thought he was being tortured. Then there was your young lady friend, Ginevra. Perhaps you wonder why she was taken? The girl resisted me for nearly a year. An eleven-year-old girl resisted the greatest wizard of all time! I knew that if she had done as she had so desired and made you fall in love with her, she would have made you nearly invincible. The only two people who aren't dead after being possessed by the Dark Lord would have been difficult to overcome, were they together. The girl was strong willed and never gave in to our demands. Do you know how long she was under the Cruciatus curse? Hours upon hours, but that got us nowhere. One of my faithful Death Eaters broke her, after a while. Lucius, I think, or possibly young Draco. They alternated, I believe. Did you know she was being held in Hogsmeade?_

"_Dumbledore, as you can see, is gone too. The old fool thought he was a match for Lord Voldemort. No, Harry, he never had a chance. It has been Seen that only one of us can defeat the other. Yes, I know the Prophecy. Dumbledore knew he couldn't win, and so he died at my hand. A fitting end for the old fool, I believe. This is a castle, after all, and one must dispatch the king before the castle will truly fall._

"_Come, Harry, let us duel now. I've solved the problem with our wands, this will be a proper fight._" Voldemort laughed. Harry stood and drew his wand, launching hex after hex at Voldemort. The two volleyed extremely powerful and advanced spells, Harry fighting as fiercely as Dumbledore had done, calling on the knowledge of the spells that Dumbledore had taught him and the collective knowledge of the four phoenixes that first marked him with the Phoenix Flame.

Ron was mad with rage. The tower collapsing had shaken him immensely. Hermione and Amanda had a clear view of the lake through the wall, so it was possible that they ran from the room when the dragon landed, it was even possible that they had ran from the castle and were on the grounds, fighting for their children's futures. The human mind has an annoying tendency to speculate the worst in situations like that, however, and Ron, while hopeful that no one was in the guest rooms at the time, expected to find six bodies in the rubble when the battle was won or lost.

As the Weasley family fought to protect one another, more and more Death Eaters, students, Order members, and teachers fell, thought if they were dead, stunned, or merely unconscious from fatigue remained to be seen. The Weasleys considered themselves extremely lucky to have no casualties on the field as yet. Charlie was still as safe as possible on his dragon while the rest of the family created a circle, everyone facing different directions, each person protecting the two on their sides by firing curses in their own little section of battlefield. It couldn't have been more obvious that most of the Death Eaters couldn't cast a proper killing curse, as only four-dozen or so had attempted it that day, the problem came when the Weasley family was faced with one who actually could cast the curse, should one person dodge it, it would hit the person behind him, and if they didn't dodge it…

Percy had no chance of survival; no one could have blocked it due to the close proximity of Percy's killer. Six stunners immediately avenged the fallen Weasley, as four stunners to the head and two to the chest of the Death Eater caused extensive internal injuries, blood seeped from his nose and mouth, pooling around his lifeless body. If the murderer wasn't dead, he would be within minutes, and while the Weasley family had only fully welcomed Percy back after Ginny's death, he was still their brother and son, and he deserved a better fate than the one he got. Molly Weasley didn't miss the fact that had Percy moved to avoid the curse it would have hit either Arthur or Ron, or quite possibly both, judging by the way they had been standing.

Harry and Voldemort were getting tired. Most of the people on the battlefield had been rendered unconscious, killed, or hexed so badly that they were unable to fight, only twenty or so people remained standing on either side, only Ron and Molly remained standing for the Weasley family. The five phoenixes that had carried those who gave Harry his wings were back, singing their ethereal song and crying over the humans with grave injuries. Harry could tell that the song invigorated the Dark Lord's opponents, and terrified his henchmen. Harry felt lighter and more energetic from the five songs echoing across the grounds. Even if he seemed to be part phoenix now, the song still filled him with some great power. He could only assume that a true phoenix felt the same way as he did.

Lord Voldemort seemed almost afraid. Phoenix song apparently wasn't his favorite type of music. The otherworldly sounds distracted him so severely that his spells flew past Harry in erratic patterns. Harry had no problems breaking through Voldemort's feeble shield charms, and soon he found himself taunting the Dark Lord as he had been taunted.

"Stand up, Tom. Fight me like a man. You killed my parents mercilessly in an attempt to kill me. You didn't even kill Sirius or Ginny, and you killed Dumbledore with the cowardly killing curse. That doesn't sound very manly to me-" Harry would have continued, but Voldemort's mouth had opened, as if he was trying to suck in more air with each breath than he would by breathing through his nose, and the thick yellow liquid coating his fangs shot out of his mouth, landing on Harry's abdomen, burning a hole in his robes.

"Didn't they teach you not to spit on others at the orphanage? It's rude, Tom, and disgusting." Harry stepped forward and waved his wand. Ropes came out and tried to work their way around Voldemort.

"Harry," he said in a wavering voice, "Do not think so lightly of me. The phoenixes affect me; I do not deny it, but binding me with conjured ropes? Come now, give me more credit than that." He stood, trying to block the phoenix song, concentrating on Harry. "Do not think ill of me for this, Harry, but I'm afraid I must end our duel. It has been a pleasant experience, enlightening, I must admit."

"Why so polite, Tom? You expect me to show you mercy? You expect me to spare your life? You expect me to allow you to walk away after all you've done?" Harry fumed, pointing his wand at Voldemort.

"No, you misunderstand, Harry. I'm going to kill you now. As I've said, it's been enlightening. _Avada Kedavra_!"

"_Amora Protego Omnis_!" Harry shouted. A bone-chilling scream echoed across the grounds as a golden light surrounded his body as the killing curse struck his chest. An evil smile lit Voldemort's serpentine face. With Harry Potter out of the way, it wouldn't be difficult for him to take over the world, his only opposition was dead, after all. The smile faded as Harry's glowing body grew brighter and brighter. The golden light shot forward out of the spot his scar would be, if his body was visible, and struck Voldemort. A high-pitched scream pierced the air. The glow disappeared all at once. Harry's body crumpled into a pile on the ground, but Voldemort's wasn't in sight. All that remained of the Dark Lord was a faint scorch mark, burning grass and leaves, and a layer of dust and ash.

Molly Weasley, the last of her family, aside from Charlie on dragonback, that remained standing, stood over the stunned and unconscious forms of her husband and children. The few remaining Death Eaters were being taken care of by Remus and Nymphadora, Minerva, Filius, Neville Longbottom, and a few other students. The dragon keepers and Aurors kept the Dementors that hadn't been destroyed by dragon fire at bay. It had been a shock to the dragon keepers as much as anyone to see a Dementor melt into a dark pile of something that looked like tar when the flames enshrouded their bodies. As disgusting as it looked, Molly was relieved that no one had been Kissed by a Dementor, even the Death Eaters deserved better than that.

When the killing curse erupted from Voldemort's wand, Molly let out a bloodcurdling scream. The golden light that had surrounded Harry's body hadn't lessened her fear at all. The fact that no one had ever glowed like that after being hit with the killing curse hadn't even entered her mind. Her one thought was to get to the boy she considered a son; no matter what she found when she got there. Alive or dead, Harry needed her. She may not have been his actual mother, and Lily Potter may have been the only person who had loved him more than she did in the way that only a mother can love her child, but she was all he had. Nymphadora was more of a big sister or aunt, and that horrid Petunia Dursley… Molly had always had half a mind to hex her beyond recognition if she ever saw her and no other muggles were around.

When the beam of golden light hit Voldemort and his deathly scream filled the air, Molly was only halfway to Harry. As soon as the light faded and Harry hit the ground, his wings, arms, and legs at odd angles and his tail feathers fanned out around his lower body, her pace doubled. At his side, she could tell that he was breathing, shallow, ragged breaths, but they were breaths nonetheless, and proof he was alive. Molly lifted him into her arms and held him, gently rocking him. Remus, Nymphadora, and the rest joined them as soon as they could. After hearing their master's scream the Death Eaters had all grasped their Dark Mark, drawing back a bloody right hand from their left forearm. The Dark Mark had opened as though someone had traced it with a razor blade, and the Death Eaters gave up the fight.

Remus picked five inches of holly off the ground, a phoenix feather sticking out of the end. The other half of the broken wand was in Harry's clenched hand. Glancing at the wings and tail that were now retreating into Harry's body, Remus reached out his hand and plucked a solitary feather. Two more fell along with it. Molly looked at him questioningly, wordlessly asking why he was stealing feathers from his dead friend's son's body.

"Broken wand," he explained, "I don't think that one of Fawkes's feathers will be enough for him." He held up one feather, "I suppose Ollivander can use these as well. There's no sense in wasting them."

Light flickered across his face, waking him from a peaceful sleep. Voices buzzed all around, like flies or bees, preventing him from seeking sleep once more. "Quiet…" he mumbled, startling everyone. A pair of arms attempted to encircle his body, but failed. They submitted and began stroking his face and hair. Amanda's voice filled his ears.

"Harry, get up, you've slept for a week." His eyes shot open. He knew that she was alive, but hearing her voice was different. She was there; he could reach out and touch her. And so he did.

"So you're not dead after all." Another voice called.

"RON!" a number of voices bellowed, Harry's weak chuckle ended their reprimand before Ron was seriously hexed.

"What happened?" Harry asked faintly, trying to sit up. Ron, Amanda, Hermione, the Lupins and the Weasleys were gathered at his side.

"That venom on your robes. It went through your skin and started eating your muscles away." Madam Pomfrey's voice called from somewhere to his right. A draft signaled his blankets being removed and his chest being exposed. A loud huff, most likely from Molly Weasley, announced disappointment in seeing the tattoo on his chest. A sharp prod in the stomach told the hospital matron what she needed to know, the weight of his blankets was on him once more and a potion was forced down his throat.

"Be glad that Ms. White's tears are the same as a phoenix's tears, Mr. Potter. Without her, you would likely be dead." Madam Pomfrey said as she shuffled off to check on other patients.

"Mrs. Potter." Amanda said, causing the assembled group to look up at her. "If I was Ms. White, my tears would have been the same as always: salty and unremarkable. When Harry and I received our phoenix powers, we were unknowingly married. Professor Dumbledore told us."

A day, or maybe a week later, Harry didn't know. He was in and out of consciousness so often that he lost all sense of time. He remembered flashes of the conversation he had when he first woke up after the final battle. He learned that Tonks had quit as an Auror, claiming that she had caught her fill of Dark wizards. He learned that Hermione and Amanda had only survived because they had summoned Dobby for some food, and that he had Apparated them to the kitchens. He was the one who saw the dragon tail coming for the tower. Cho, Katie, Angelina, and Wormtail had been on the grounds, fighting alongside the Order. He learned that Severus Snape, Percy Weasley, Rubeus Hagrid, a handful of Order members, and three first year students were the only casualties on their side, unless he counted the injured, no one escaped unscathed, and he learned that Voldemort was truly dead this time. He would never come back.

Harry was still fading in and out, waking for no more than thirty seconds on most occasions. "…CATCHES THE SNITCH!" Harry smiled before falling back to sleep, thinking that it was good that the school could gather for something like Quidditch. "Harry? Are you awake?" A whisper from beside him stirred him awake for a moment.

Darkness surrounded the room. Harry looked up and saw Amanda's sleeping form beside his bed, the Quidditch cup resting on her lap. Natalie must have caught the Snitch. Harry smiled; Gryffindor had won the cup. Amanda stirred and woke, sleepily noting Harry's open eyes and bright smile. The first thing she did was brandish the cup in front of her, the second thing was to tell him that he had missed all the N.E.W.T.s, and the third thing was to announce that Molly Weasley had began the planning of two weddings and that Amanda and Hermione had talked her into a double wedding instead. Harry smiled and nodded before falling asleep again.

Harry was released a couple of days later on the grounds that he didn't over exert himself and he report to Madam Pomfrey daily for potions. He would be staying at Hogwarts for a while during the summer to take his N.E.W.T.s, but Madam Pomfrey said that Gryffindor Tower might be better for his mood. Amanda, Ron, Hermione, and the rest of the Weasleys would be staying too. Other good news followed his release: Minerva McGonagall, as deputy headmistress, now took over Albus Dumbledore's previous position, and while this was regrettable because of the circumstances, it paved the way for better news. Remus and Nymphadora had taken two of the empty teaching positions. Remus was the new Care of Magical Creatures teacher, as a magical creature he was perfect for the job. Nymphadora had taken Minerva's old position as Transfiguration professor, claiming that her natural ability as a Metamorphmagus should be enough to earn her the job. McGonagall agreed. The potions position was still empty, as was the Defense Against the Dark Arts position.

Over the course of a week in Gryffindor Tower, Harry began to feel better than he had felt in years. He and Amanda had a room to themselves in the tower, as did Ron and Hermione, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Remus and Nymphadora, and Bill and Fleur. The unmarried Weasley brothers, with the exception of Ron, were sharing a room. Each of them protested it, saying that Ron was sharing a room with Hermione so they should be allowed to share a room with their girlfriends. Katie and Angelina were siding with Molly, however, so George and Fred couldn't protest much. Charlie, who hadn't received anything from the Girl of the Month club lately, wasn't complaining as much as the twins.

The day after Harry had completed his N.E.W.T.s, the twins and their girlfriends announced their engagements. The twins had unknowingly proposed on the same day, much to the amusement of the family.

Harry, Amanda, Ron, and Hermione had opted for a muggle wedding, mainly because Hermione's parents were going to be there. Their double wedding was held on the Quidditch pitch in Hogsmeade, Hermione's parents had arrived by portkey to the all-wizarding village. Their friends had taken the Hogwarts Express, which had been decorated with hundreds of Aphrodite's Roses. The wedding was reported as one of the most awe-inspiring that anyone had ever been witness to, The Quibbler had done a special report on the ceremony, claiming that the light from the joining spell was so bright that it could easily be seen from the nest of a Floppy-tailed Liboret, whatever that was, in the mountain cave where Sirius had once hidden.

November 11, 1998

Harry paced the corridor outside Amanda's room at St. Mungo's. Ron had already threatened to hex him if he didn't sit down. Amanda had thrown him out of the room after she ran out of fingers to break. A passing healer had offered to fix the broken appendages for him, but he refused. If Amanda learned that he had ten freshly mended fingers, she would have him back in there, gripping them until they broke again.

After his wife had been in labor for nearly four hours, she finally gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. They had settled on the name Morgana Lily Potter, the names of Amanda's grandmother, who was also Remus's aunt, and Harry's mother. Silent tears made their way down Harry's cheeks as his daughter yawned widely and blinked her vivid green eyes, her tuft of jet-black hair tickling his arm. Finally he had the family he had always wanted, and this time nothing was going to take that away from him.


	15. Epilogue

Epilogue

A/N: It's been a strange ride, but now the roller coaster is coming to a stop. There will be another trip to take as soon as the track can be changed to make us go in another direction… this epilogue is pretty crappy, and pretty much doubles as a prologue for the sequel.

Thanks to everyone who read this and thanks again to everyone who reviewed. You guys are the reason why I attempted something other than a oneshot. If you're not interested in the sequel, which I still can't think of a name for, I'll be working on a post-HBP AU fic detailing how James and Lily got together and how Harry got to know the parents he never had. Now! On with the fic!

Eleven year olds Morgana Potter and Andrew Weasley ran through Diagon Alley, nine-year-old James Potter clinging to his sister's robes. Ten-year-old Vulpecula Lupin was ahead of them, mad because of her mother's insistence of calling her by her proper name rather than her nickname.

Harry and Amanda Potter, Ron and Hermione Weasley, and Remus and Nymphadora Lupin had brought their children to Diagon Alley to shop for school things. Vulpy Lupin wouldn't be starting until next year, but she wanted to accompany her best friends. Remus had promised to help his daughter and her friends with their secret desire, and promised that she could get a book on the subject, which she had clutched to her chest.

Rejoining her friends after calming down, Vulpy put her head together with Andy and Morgana as they walked. The three used James as a shield, keeping him in front so they could read and walk at the same time. "Ok, you lot, come on!" Harry's voice called from Ollivander's wand shop. This was the part of the trip that Andy and Morgana had been looking forward to.

"Ah, the young miss Potter and the elder cousin of the terrorists who roam Diagon Alley." Ollivander said, coming from a back room in the shop. "Mr. Weasley, we'll get to you in a second, I want to test my theory with Miss Potter." The wand maker said, pulling a dusty box from one of the innumerable shelf. He handed Morgana a pristine cherry wand. "Ten and one quarter inches, phoenix feather," he said, "give it a wave." She did so, sending red sparks across the room. "Excellent, excellent! Ah, Mr. Potter! Your second feather has been taken. Your daughter, it seems, will do great things." Harry smiled at Morgana, examining her new wand; it felt just as natural to him as his own.

"Now, Mr. Weasley, for you we'll try… yes, I think Hornbeam and dragon heartstring, ten inches," the wand was taken back before Andrew could try anything. "Redwood and phoenix feather, nine and a half inches," again it was snatched back before Andrew moved. "Holly and unicorn hair, sixteen and three quarter inches," he took the wand back and replaced it with another, "Willow and unicorn hair, fourteen and a quarter inches." The wand shot silver sparks across the room. "There we are!" Ron and Harry handed over the galleons for the wands and ushered the two children from the store.

Morgana, Vulpecula, Andrew, and James sat at a table outside of Florean Fortescue's ice cream parlor, the three older kids reading Vulpecula's book. "This looks hard, Vulpy. Do you guys really think we can do it?" Morgana asked, trying to make sense of the words on the page, willing herself to learn something that most adult wizards would find difficult.

"Sure, why not? You can do anything you want, all you need is determination." Vulpy replied, studying the book. "Besides, I'll be able to study all year, and you two can look in the books at Hogwa…" she trailed off when a pair of redheads came bouncing toward them. Allison and Michael Weasley were heading toward them with broad grins on their faces. Though she was only ten, Vulpecula had fancied Michael for as long as she could remember; she wasn't sure what to do about feelings like the ones she had for him. All she knew was that she couldn't speak around him, and she felt as though she walked on air whenever he spoke to her.

"Hey guys," Allison began "Uncle Fred gave us these." She held out her hands, which held a small hard candy each.

"Dad says they're called Sorting Sweets. Uncle George told us that you two should eat one. It tells you what house you're most likely to be in at Hogwarts." Michael said, waiting for Morgana and Andrew to take the candies from his cousin. When they did, they looked at the candy with a suspicious eye, not wanting to turn into anything in the middle of Diagon Alley. They ate the candy with trepidation. With a pop they both turned scarlet and their hair turned gold.

Amanda gasped, seeing her daughter change colors. Fury and fear overtook her before she realized that it was most likely a joke, considering the people who joined their table. Ron and Harry laughed, earning them a slap on the back of their heads from Hermione.

Remus and Nymphadora were due back at Hogwarts to prepare for the feast the following day, so they had to hurry home. Nymphadora stood up and looked over to her daughter's table. "Vulpecula, come on, we have to go home!"

"Don't call me Vulpecula!"

Morgana and Andrew were soon carted off to their homes as well. They had lots of new things and had to prepare for their first year at Hogwarts.

Harry and Ron took the following morning off from work to see their kids onto the train. Since they were partners in a sort of detective agency they had started (sometimes the methods they used were less than ministry approved, but hardly illegal. They could do as they pleased, unlike the M.L.E.S. or Aurors), it was fairly easy to skive off. Amanda was working at St. Mungo's that night, so she was free to see them off, and Hermione was working at home on a project regarding House Elf rights for the Department for the Control and Regulation of Magical Creatures; a morning off would be good for her as well.

As the kids got on the train, their mothers looked like they were about to cry, and claimed that they were growing up too quickly.

Morgana walked back from the prefect's meeting to find her brother, her boyfriend, her best friend, and the twins' terrors sharing a compartment. Despite living in Hogsmeade, Vulpy always rode the train with everyone else, and like the previous year, she was the first to welcome Morgana back from the prefect meeting.

"What's new in prefect land?" Vulpy asked, blushing profusely. Morgana quickly saw why, the small compartment was rather crowded, and she was squashed between Michael Weasley and the compartment wall. Mikey, of course, was oblivious. _Must be a Weasley boy thing._ She guessed, taking the only available seat: Andrew's lap. Andrew woke suddenly and smiled at his girlfriend. "Nothing new, really, Parkinson is still a prefect, somehow… that cow. I heard that she slept with all the Slytherin Quidditch team last year, McGonagall knows about it too!"

"Don't worry about that cow, as long as she doesn't try to sleep with the Gryffindor team." Vulpy said, laughing. Everyone else snorted with laughter.

"Let's see," Michael said, looking as though he were deep in thought, "I don't think she would ever try anything like that with a Weasley, so we're safe. The Potters are out too. She hates the pair of you. Then there's you, Vulpy, and I don't think you're her type." Vulpy laughed, blushing faintly as she did so. She had known him all his life and still he could make her feel incredibly shy. No one else could ever hope to do that.

"Oi! Morgana and I aren't exactly her types either, dear cousin. Who knows, she might brew a love potion for James, Andy, and you to get revenge or something." Allison said, laughing.

"Can we change the subject?" Morgana's tone suggested that it wasn't a question.   
"Time for a bit of a break, I think. Sixth year should be easier, right between O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s, the most we'll be doing is helping Vulpy with her work!" Morgana shifted slightly and turned her upper body to face everyone else. "Maybe we can help you three too." She said, laughing at her brother's glare.

"You'll help us or we'll tell Uncle Ron and Uncle Harry about your dirty little secret!" Michael said, his eyes daring them to refuse helping them. Vulpecula raised her eyebrow.

"What secret? I don't know what you're talking about. Any secrets we have aren't dirty, and Vulpy knows all about them." Morgana countered, Vulpy's eyebrow lowered.

"Of course Vulpy knows, but we won't tell on her. She'll be too busy with her own work to help anyone. Besides, it's her secret too."

The Weasleys, Potters, and solitary Lupin rode the rest of the way playing chess and exploding snap; the younger students assured that they would have help if they asked. As the train pulled into Hogsmeade station, they left for the carriages in good spirits and looking forward to another year at Hogwarts.

A/N 2: On with the sequel, I'll try to make it better than this one. It'll be mostly about the younger students but the adults will be there as well.

I don't have a title for the sequel yet, but as soon as I think of one, I'll put the first chapter up.

If the names don't come from JKR, then they're creations of my dear friend and co-author, Amanda. Blame her. She mostly stole our friends' names. She wanted James Potter's middle name to be Albus, but I had to intervene. Too many fanfics use that name… then again a lot use James Sirius too… Sometime in the next fic I'll give everyone a middle name and a birthday or something.

Like many members of the Black family, Vulpecula's namesake can be found by looking at the night sky. Sirius, Regulus, Bellatrix, Andromeda, and possibly more names from the tapestry at Grimmauld Place are either stars or constellations. Andromeda, if I'm not mistaken, is also a galaxy. Vulpecula is a constellation, known to most English speaking people as Little Fox.


End file.
